


An Unexpected Friendship

by blackrose_17



Series: Unexpected Bonds [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, Thor (Movies)
Genre: A retelling of the Hobbit with Loki along for the ride, Alternate Universe, Big Brother Loki, Character Death, Crossover, Crossover Pairings, F/M, Family Bonding, Growing Romance, It happens in Chapter Two, Loki is adopted by the Baggins, M/M, Marvel Universe Big Bang 2013, Slow Build, Soul Bond
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-12
Updated: 2013-11-12
Packaged: 2018-01-01 08:18:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Major Character Death
Chapters: 9
Words: 24,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1042509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blackrose_17/pseuds/blackrose_17
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When Loki fell from the Rainbow Bridge he landed in Middle-Earth where he was found by a most unusual creature, a Hobbit by the name of Bilbo Baggins. As he is nursed back to health by the Baggins', Loki finds himself a place to call home and people he would call family. When Belladonna dies Loki vows to look after Bilbo, so what happens when a meddling wizard arrives in the Shire to deliver a quest for Bilbo and instead just a Hobbit, he gets an overprotective god as well? No one knows what they should make of Bilbo or more importantly, of Loki.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Marvel Big Bang 2013  
> Beta by the always wonderful RoyalLadyEmma  
> Art by weasleysangel  
> Disclaimer: I do not own Thor or the Hobbit

**Chapter 1**

Soul bonds did exist but they were not only between soul mates as many believed. There were also soul bonds that occur between families, whether that family is formed by blood or is one of your own making. You will always know you have found your soul bonded family when they imprint on your heart.

As Loki hung from the Rainbow Bridge looking into the stricken eyes of his brother, Thor, a piece of him wished he felt that special soul bond with the blond who was so desperately trying to save him but he didn’t and for some reason he knew he’d after examine at some point, that knowledge hurt more than Loki was willing to admit.

Loki knew that Thor felt that lack of bond between them as well for his brother had already experienced his own true soul bonds while he was on Earth. Thor had found his soul mate in one Jane Foster, and that cut far deeper than Loki would ever admit to, plus, he had also formed a family bond with Darcy Lewis and Erik Selvig.

Loki had even seen such a bond of two joined hearts when he snuck in to lie to his brother about their father, Odin, entering into the sleep between the agent known as Coulson and the man many referred to as Hawkeye.

Thor enjoyed and truly treasured the one thing Loki wanted more than anything, the family of his soul and it had become painfully clear that his family was not to be found in Asgard. _'It's time to let me go,'_ Loki thought to his brother as he pleaded silently with him. Even though there was much bitterness that existed in his soul he still loved Thor and Loki needed to leave before he caused his brother even more harm than he already had.

"I'm sorry, brother, but this is the only way I can find peace," Loki told Thor and he watched as the blond man's eyes widen in horror as he realised what Loki was planning on doing.

"Brother, please! There is another way," Thor pleaded with Loki. While it was true Loki had caused a lot of damage and he had tried to seize Asgard but they were still brothers and the Thunder God loved him and wanted to save him.

"There _is_ no other way. I don't belong here and I never will; it's time I found the place where I do belong. But no matter where I end up you will always be my one and only brother, Thor." Try as he might Loki knew he would never be able to hate Thor just as he knew his solution was the best for everyone. "Good-bye, brother."

And with a final smile that came from the heart for the man he would always call brother, Loki freed his hand from Thor's grip and felt gravity take hold of him as he fell from the Rainbow Bridge.

******

A single tear fell from Frigga's eyes as she watched her youngest son fall; it didn't matter who had given birth to Loki, he was still her son and she would always love him. However, she knew that soon there would be another he would see as mother and that he would soon be with those he would call his family. "I hope you find the happiness with them that you could not find with us, my son, and I pray you will someday return to us with those your heart longs for with you."

******

Loki didn't know how long or how far he fell; time held no meaning and he had nothing but the empty cold to keep him company. He fell through the veils between the planes of existence until finally he felt a twinge he had never felt before. It slowly but inexorably filled his soul with a wonderful warmth that drove off the cold. Loki didn't know it at the time but it was the true feeling of home.

******

Bilbo Baggins knew that he wasn't like the other Hobbit children; he rather enjoyed going off on his little adventures, searching for hours at a time hoping to find elves or fairies and unlike his friends who were content to stay in the village, Bilbo often talked about someday leaving the Shire.

"Bilbo, don't go off too far, lunch will be ready soon," Belladonna called after her son as she watched him trek off into the nearby woods. She didn’t mind him going alone; he was safe for there were very few dangers in Hobbiton and she knew that her little one would be safe as long as he stayed within hearing distance of her voice.

Bilbo's blue eyes sparkled as he looked over his shoulder; "I will, mum; I'll be back for lunch." He turned back around and skipped down the trail leading into the forest to see if he could finally find and meet an elf. _‘That would be the coolest thing ever!’_

Behind him Belladonna shook her head a smile playing at her lips, her son was turning out to be quite the little adventurer and she couldn't be more proud. Still he was just a fauntling and as such he was ruled by his tummy which meant that no matter how badly he wished to find an elf or a fairy he would be drawn back home by the call of food.

Bungo on the other hand couldn't help but worry about his son. While he’d finally accepted that his son was going to be an adventurer like his mother, it didn't mean that he still didn't worry about his son like every good father. There was a small part of him that truly hoped that as Bilbo got older he would get his wanderlust out of his system, settle down and be a respectable Hobbit, while the bigger part of him was proud that Bilbo took after Belladonna. After all, Bungo had always loved her adventurous spirit and he was happy to see it alive and well in their son, he just wished the other Hobbits could accept Bilbo and see that he wasn’t different but special. _‘Our son is meant for great things,’_ Bungo mused thoughtfully, _‘I just know it.’_

Belladonna smiled at her husband. “It’s alright, dear, it’s good for Bilbo to explore, and someday I will take him to meet actual elves, I’m sure Lord Elrond will adore Bilbo."

“Could you hold off going on adventures until he’s a little older? I’m not quite ready for my little boy to leave the nest just yet.” Bungo smiled to take any sting from his words; he knew that like Belladonna, Bilbo wouldn’t be happy living in the Shire; he felt the same call his mother did, to see what was beyond the rolling green hills.

******

Pain, that was all Loki could feel as his body slammed into the hard unforgiving earth, and for several long minutes his world teetered on the verge of becoming black.

"Hey, mister, are you okay?" A small voice asked and as he forced his eyes open, the tiniest face Loki had ever seen appeared before him.

Loki tried to answer but he could not get his voice to work and as darkness snuck up once again and finally claimed him, the God of Mischief found himself welcoming it like an old friend.

Bilbo grew worried when the strange man's eyes fluttered closed without saying anything, and no matter how hard he tried he could not get him to wake up. The little Hobbit had bitten his lower lip in surprise when he’d heard the sound of something crashing through the undergrowth and he couldn’t help but investigate the noise, hoping that he was finally going to meet an elf. Bilbo never counted on finding an unusual looking and clearly injured man lying awkwardly in the bushes. “Hang on, Mister, my mum and dad will know what to do. I’ll be back, I promise.” Bilbo gently patted the unconscious man on the shoulder before dashing off.

******

"Mommy! There's an injured man over here, we've got to help him!" Bilbo came rushing out of the bushes his breaths coming in harsh pants and his little face flushed from how fast he had been running.

Belladonna and Bungo shared a look. “Where is the man, Bilbo?” Belladonna asked catching Bilbo by his shoulders and trying her best to keep her son still.

“I’ll show you!” Bilbo pulled away from his mom and grabbed her by the hands. “We have to hurry; I promised him I would be right back.” Bilbo began tugging on her, trying to get her to move.

With a tolerant smile, Belladonna allowed herself to be pulled along by her son. It wasn’t the first time that Bilbo had found something wounded on his journeys, but usually it was small animals; finding a man was something new and even a little worrying. Concerned about what his son might really have found, Bungo quietly trailed along behind them.

For his small stature Bilbo could certainly move quickly and Belladonna, knowing that she’d never be able to keep up otherwise, was thankful that her son refused to let go of her hand. She fought the urge to smile as Bilbo paused for a moment and his cute little face scrunched up as he looked around to make sure he was heading the right way.

“He’s over here, mommy,” Bilbo declared once he spotted a familiar flower and then he was off again, pulling his indulgent mother behind him again.

What Belladonna and Bungo had been expecting was not what they found; indeed there before their eyes lay a broken man, his arms and legs bent and twisted, dressed in the strangest outfit they had ever laid their eyes on. Alarmed by the sight, Bungo held Bilbo back as his wife moved forward to check on the man.

Belladonna may be a Baggins now but she was still a Took at heart and as she stared down at the broken man before her she didn't even hesitate in making her decision. As she began carefully arranging his limbs, she called over her shoulder to her husband and young son, "Help me with him, we’re taking him home with us."

Bungo sighed in resignation. He knew that glint in his wife eyes; she was dead set on this course of action and nothing would sway her. "You do know that this will make us less respectable in the eyes of the others," he calmly reminded her. Not that he minded, of course, but it was a rather small village and people did tend to talk… a lot… about anything new or unusual.

A very un-lady like snort escaped Belladonna's lips; she was already a less-than-respectable Hobbit in the Shire due in no small part to her Took blood and the rather scandalous fact even at her status as a married lady that she still liked to go on adventures and worse, she was happily training her son to follow in her footsteps. Belladonna was not going to let Shire politics and the opinions of others who often couldn't see past their own noses tell her little Bilbo that it wasn't right to go on adventures and discover what life held outside of the Shire. If her baby wanted to meet Elves, then damn it, he was going to meet Elves!

Bilbo clapped his hands together as he came rushing over to help his mom. He’d known his mom wouldn't leave the poor man behind. "Is he an elf, mom?" he finally asked the question that had been on his mind since he’d found the strangely dressed man.

Belladonna shook her head a smile playing on her face. "I don't think so, my dear one."

A pout graced Bilbo's face; he had been so sure that he had finally found his very first elf. “Then is he a man? I’ve never seen one dressed like him before.” In fact, he looked _nothing_ like the Rangers that came to the Shire.

“I’ve never seen one dressed like him either,” Belladonna admitted. “But it doesn’t matter what he is, he’s in need of our help.”

Patting the unconscious stranger on the shoulder Bilbo made him a promise, “Hear that, Mister? We’re going to take good care of you and I promise no one is going to hurt you again.”

Above their son’s head Belladonna and Bungo shared a quizzical yet concerned look, never had they heard their son take to someone so quickly, and the two of them hadn’t even met yet. _‘Well, I’ve always wanted to bring another child into our family, and something tells me you were brought to us for a reason,’_ Belladonna thought with a smile. She knew that Bilbo would not let the man go without using his sweet charm to try and convince him to stay with them; after all there was no one within the Shire or without who could resist a fauntling’s pleading eyes.

******

It took some doing for two full-grown Hobbits and one fauntling to get the man moved but in the end they managed to get their guest to Bag End and into their spare guest room. Fortunately, it was the only room in the house big enough to hold a man-sized guest.

Once they got him settled, Bilbo crawled up on the bed with a wet cloth and began gently cleaning the dirt and mud off his face, taking extra care when cleaning out the dirt of the cuts and off the bruises. Belladonna couldn't help but smile at the look of focused concentration on Bilbo's face as he did his task; the way the tip of his tongue poked out of the corner of his mouth was rather really adorable. _‘I’ll remember this moment and that look forever,’_ she thought fondly.

"Do you think he's going to be okay?" Bilbo asked his mother as he looked up from his task.

Belladonna nodded her head a soft smile on her face. "I'm sure of it, son, he doesn't look too badly wounded and I couldn’t find any broken bones. I think he just needs a good rest and someone to look after and care for him, which I trust you will help me do?”

Bilbo nodded his head eagerly, his little chest puffing out with pride that his mother trusted him with such an important task. “I will, I promise!” The young Hobbit was thrilled with his new responsibilities; always before he’d only had wounded forest creatures to take care of.

Belladonna couldn’t help but smile at how adorable her son was. “I know you will, dear heart.” _‘I have a feeling it’s going to be next to impossible to drag you away from him. I wonder do you feel the pull to him? And if you do, what kind of bond will you have, family or something more?’_ Unlike most races of Middle-Earth, Hobbits felt a pull in their soul, an irresistible one that drew them to those who would be family by choice or be the one who completed the other half of their soul. She could feel the pull to the man, a family pull, but she wondered how the pull would feel to Bilbo. But for now Belladonna was happy to watch over Bilbo as he cared for their guest.

******

The first thing Loki registered was the pain, the white-hot burning pain that seemed to be engulfing his entire body. He couldn't remember the last time his body hurt so much. _‘What in Odin’s name happened to meee…’_ in a flash, Loki saw the worry and sorrow in Thor’s eyes, felt the rush of wind as he fell back from the bridge, remembered the bone-jarring impact with the ground. _‘Oh, yeah, guess I should have thought about the landing before I let go of my brother’s hand,’_ he thought ruefully. _‘I wonder where I ended up?’_ He tried to turn his head, but a tender hand stopped him.

"Shh, don't try to move, your body is still recovering," a soft and gentle female voice whispered softly in his ear.

Loki forced himself to open up his eyes as he wished to see the owner of the voice, it took all his energy to do so but it was worth it as Loki looked into the kind and warm eyes of the woman who was tenderly wiping his forehead with a cool cloth. Immediately he could feel the stirrings of a bond beginning to form and he found himself smiling shyly at her. Knowing in his heart that he would be safe with her he allowed darkness once again to claim him.

Belladonna shook her head not at all surprised that the man had used up all his strength in trying to open up his eyes. _'I can tell you are a stubborn one, which means you're going to fit in well with us,'_ Belladonna thought with a fond smile as she continued to stroke the injured man's cheek. _‘My son clearly found you for a reason.’_

******

This time when Loki awoke he noticed that his body did not ache as much as it had the last time and cautiously he opened up his eyes, grateful that someone had thought to pull the curtains close, keeping the light to a minimum.

“Oh, you’re awake! I’ll go tell my mom,” a small voice chirped from his side. Turning his head rather gingerly Loki came face to face with the same small child he’d seen just seconds before he had fallen into darkness. Loki could only blink as the little ball of energy bounced out of his room and he wondered if he and Thor had ever had that much energy when they were younger, then he chuckled darkly as he realised that Thor was still as hyper as ever. He was surprised that it didn't hurt as much to think about Thor as it should have, although his soul still ached as he realised that he would never lay his eyes on Thor again.

"You _are_ awake! I was worried Bilbo was seeing things; he's been sitting by your side for days hoping you would wake up." A kind voice pulled him from his thoughts and Loki looked up to meet a pair of warm, wonderful and welcoming eyes.

"Bi…” Loki coughed dryly and Belladonna rushed over to carefully lift Loki’s head and hold a glass of water to his lips. Gratefully, the injured man took several sips of the cool refreshing liquid and then tried again. “Bilbo?" he asked and he caught sight of the smallest and cutest creature he had ever seen poking his head out from behind the woman's skirt.

Belladonna smiled down at her son and placed her hand on top of Bilbo's curly hair. "Yes, this is my son, Bilbo Baggins and I'm Belladonna Baggins; it's nice to meet you."

"I am Loki,” and he smiled shyly at Bilbo, whose eyes widened just before he ducked back behind his mother. “Have you been taking care of me?" Loki asked, he couldn't remember the last time that anyone had bothered to take care of him.

"Of course we did! You were injured and needed help." Belladonna couldn't help but wonder what kind of home Loki had grown up in if he could be so surprised the little tenderness being shown to him.

Bilbo wasn't sure why he suddenly was so shy around his new friend but seeing the sadness in the man’s eyes made him get over his bashfulness and move out from behind his mother. Wasting no time Bilbo crawled up on the bed and curled into Loki's side and curiosity shone in his eyes as he looked up at Loki, "Didn't anyone ever kiss your booboo's better when you were little?"

Loki smiled down sadly at the small fauntling, "It's been a very long time since I've had anyone kiss my booboo’s, I'm afraid."

The sadness in Loki’s eyes echoed in his voice and brought a lump to Belladonna’s throat. _‘Oh you poor, lost lamb!’_

Well that just didn't sit well with Bilbo, not one little bit, so he leaned forward and pressed a kiss onto Loki's cheek. "Don't you worry, Loki; I'll kiss all your booboos better from now on."

Loki found himself choking on an unnamed emotion; that was without a doubt the sweetest thing anyone had ever said to him. "Thank you, Bilbo; I would like that very much," and for the first time in his life Loki felt the bonds of family filling his heart. _'Could I have found them, the ones that call to my soul? Could it really be as easy as falling off a log… well, a bridge?'_ Loki had never thought this day would come but as he looked into Bilbo's shining, trusting eyes and then over to Belladonna's smiling face, the God of Mischief vowed then and there that he would do everything in his power to keep them safe. _‘Because that is what one does with family,’_ and the thought made him smile.

******

It hadn't taken long for Loki to figure that his magic behaved quite differently in the shire than at home and therefore, he wasn't healing like he normally would. Instead he found while he wished he could be back on his feet he was rather enjoying being cared for by the Baggins' family and more importantly by Bilbo, who seemed attached to his side. Loki found he rather adored the look of concern in Bilbo’s eyes whenever he asked if he needed anything, and for the first time in a long time Loki felt like he was actually part of a wonderful family who truly loved one another. _‘I don’t ever want this feeling to go away.’_

The warm weight of Bilbo resting against him pulled Loki out of his thoughts and as he looked down at the small Hobbit curled into his side the fallen god couldn't help but smile at how peaceful Bilbo looked in his sleep. There was just something so endearing about the child that made Loki welcome his presence at every turn.

"I see Bilbo fell asleep in here again," Belladonna commented from the entrance of the room that they had declared as Loki's. She wasn't at all surprised to find her son at his usual post; Bilbo firmly refused to leave Loki's side and more often than not when Belladonna came to check on Loki she would find Bilbo sleeping soundly with his little arms wrapped around Loki’s uninjured arm. She got the distinct feeling that her son was clinging to his new friend as if afraid that if he let him go Loki would disappear from his sight.

Loki found himself smiling down at the sleeping Hobbit. "Yes, he did and I don't have the heart to wake him." He reached down and brushed the curls back from Bilbo’s cheek. “He’s really quite a special little boy, isn’t he?”

It was at this point that Belladonna knew in her heart that Loki and Bilbo would have a family bond and she was happy, she was so very happy. She and Bungo had always wanted to have another child but nature had decided that it was not to be, until now. "What do you know about soul bonds?" she asked curiously.

Loki stiffened as he gazed at the female before him. "I know that while many believe that there is only one type of soul bond and that is your other half, your soul mate, the one who carries the other piece of your soul in his heart, the one who completes you. But there is another kind, the soul bond of the family, the one in which you find your family, a place to belong, the ones that fit so perfectly into your life and make you feel whole," Loki stated softly as he ran his fingers gently through Bilbo's soft golden curls.

For a few seconds, Belladonna said nothing as she watched the treasured moment. "Do you feel it?" she kept her voice soft not wanting to break the spell.

It was clear to the older Hobbit that Loki was fighting to keep his emotions under control. How did he tell her that he had felt the bonds between them all the moment they’d met but he hadn't dared to believe that at long last he had found his family. To hear that they felt the same way too filled his heart with a warmth he hadn’t felt since he was with his mother, and that was so long ago. "Yes, I do."

The smile that graced Belladonna's face was warmer than the sun itself and much brighter. "We are so very happy to hear that, Loki, because we feel it as well and I want you to know that you will always have a place here among us. Besides, I don't think that Bilbo plans on letting you leave without a fight." She pointed to her son and Loki realised that at some time during their talk Bilbo had curled even deeper into his side.

Loki felt a true smile appear on his face as he gazed down fondly at the little Hobbit. "Trust me; I don't plan on going anywhere."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Bilbo had been beyond thrilled when he learned Loki was going to be staying with them for a long time; the young fauntling adored his new big brother and Loki in returned worshiped his baby brother.

As it turned out Bungo had also been right. The other Hobbits had and something to say, including a long-winded speech about them bringing home and adopting a creature no one had ever seen before. Naturally, Belladonna gave them all an impassioned speech right back; Loki was their son and nothing they said or did, and no matter how much they complained was going to change that fact. Normally soft-spoken and preferring to remain in the background, Bungo had surprised everyone when he’d backed up his wife and laid claim to Loki as his son as well. Needless to say, that had stunned the complaining Hobbits into silence.

Listening to the Baggins family stand up for him touch the God of Mischief deeply. Loki had never felt such peace but he couldn't deny the fact that he had a horrible feeling that his peace couldn't last, and he was right.

Loki had been living with the Baggins for two years, the happiest two years of his life, when the Fell Winter came, the temperatures plummeted dramatically, the sun could barely shine through the daily cloud cover and blizzards created vast nearly insurmountable snowdrifts. Eventually even he had been affected by the cold and the snow. Soon the food supplies began to dwindle, but that was nothing compared to the horror that was to come. The lake froze over and without that natural barrier to protect the village, the wolves and Orcs found their way into the Shire.

No one knew what to do; the Hobbits were not fighters so they cuddled together inside their houses as the wolves prowled ever closer and the Orcs hunted in the shadows. There was little hope as death loomed in three ways, many feared they would either be claimed by the cold, or they would starve to death, or the worst fate, become food themselves for their hungry new neighbours.

Out of the entire village, there were only two brave souls who dared to brave the dangers, Belladonna and Loki Baggins. When it was deemed safe enough, the two would venture out into the bitter cold gathering what meagre supplies they could. They found very little but it was still every little bit helped.

Staying behind to keep the fires burning, Bungo anxiously paced the floors, trying so hard to keep his son from seeing how worried he was that one day their luck would run out and he was right.

Slowly, day by day, the wolves and the Orcs claimed more and more of the Shire as their own and Bilbo grew more and more worried as the howls of the starving beasts grew all the closer to his home. 

Bag End had always been a safe place, a cosy haven for the little family but even though Bungo, Belladonna and Loki took turns skipping meals to ensure that their beloved little boy could always eat, their food eventually faded to nothing. Finally, the day arrived when they were faced with the inevitable and despite the fact that the wolves were growing all the closer they knew they would have no choice but to leave.

Belladonna made sure the Bilbo was bundled up as warm as he could be but she also made sure that he could easily run for safety if it came to that. Kneeling down in front of her son, Belladonna stroked his face tenderly and then tucked a few stray curls up under his woolly cap. "Bilbo, stay with your brother, he will take good care of you.” She knew that Loki would do everything in his power keep his younger brother safe.

Through her travels both in and out of the Shire, Belladonna had learned – she’d _had_ to learn – to defend herself through the rangers and elves she had befriended. She had originally planned on teaching Bilbo her skills when he was old enough and perhaps even asking Loki to share some of his talents, and she still hoped to get the chance but if it came down to it she would gladly give her life for her sons. She had sent word to her dear friend, Gandalf, and she could only hope and pray that he’d gotten her message in time and would arrive soon, bringing badly needed help with him. There was no doubt that Bree knew about their plight as did the many rangers who had stopped by during their troubles, so hopefully help was on its way.

But unfortunately, help would arrive too late to save one of their little family.

Luck had been on their side as the four cold, hungry and weary travellers made their way through the snowdrifts towards Loki and Belladonna's familiar hunting grounds. Neither had chanced leaving the rest of their family home unprotected believing that if they stayed together they would be safer but as always, luck was a fickle mistress and she could turn in an instant as they were about to learn.

"Look what we have here boys, fresh meat!" a menacing voice hissed from the woods behind Bilbo.

A frightened noise escaped the young fauntling as he turned and found himself face to face with a grinning Orc who slowly licked his lips at the sight of the young Hobbit. "Mommy! Daddy! Loki!" Bilbo cried out even as he remembered the one thing his mom told him, when faced with an Orc use the gift he had been given: his speed. A Hobbit was quick on his feet and it was time for Bilbo to be just that and run away as quickly as he possibly could.

When he heard his brother’s frightened cry Loki whirled around and felt rage fill him as he watched Bilbo come running towards him, Orcs trailing after him. _'Not my brother!'_ Loki thought viciously. He was a trained warrior and these monsters would be no match for him.

Spurred on by his intense fear, his small size and quick feet allowed Bilbo to slip beneath Loki's legs just as his brother whirled around and whipped out his sword. One sweeping arc easily took off the head of the closet target. "Bilbo, stay behind me and keep your head down. I will protect you," Loki vowed.

"I will." Bilbo knew that Loki would keep his promise; he had never let him down before and Bilbo trusted him implicitly. _'Mom, dad, I hope you’re okay.'_

******

Belladonna felt fear intense grip her, she had lost sight of her sons. While she honestly believed that Bilbo was safest with Loki and she knew in her heart that Loki would protect Bilbo with his very life she was still terrified for her youngest son’s safety.  
  
Bungo had always known that his Belladonna was fierce, he’d been listening to the stories of her adventures for years, but actually seeing her in battle was very different than anything his imagination could ever have provided. His beloved wife, the mother of his son, his soul mate, she became a fiery, fearless and merciless goddess in his eyes. Because Bungo knew nothing about war or battle he did not understand that often times one creature will act as a decoy to draw attention from a fellow combatant’s nefarious intentions and as such, he did not know to keep one eye on the action in front of him and one eye on his own back.

So, peaceful combat innocent that he was Bungo Baggins did not see the wolf crawling through the brush behind him at a stealthy pace until it was too late.

"NO!" Belladonna screamed in horror as she watched the ravenous wolf rip into her husband’s fragile body but in doing so, she unwittingly lowered her guard and that was a near-fatal mistake. Grinning evilly, the Orc she had been fighting took advantage of her momentary lapse, raised its blade above its head and struck. Fortunately, it was only a glancing blow but it was enough to send Belladonna stumbling back however she was not out of the battle yet.

Taking advantage of the bigger creature’s inherent clumsiness, Belladonna cleverly used her smaller stature against it. Waiting until the Orc had raised his arms in preparation for another blow, the brave adventuress darted forward and stabbed the despicable creature, sinking her small knife to the hilt in its chest.

Glaring with satisfaction as the Orc collapsed at her feet, Belladonna retrieved her weapon and wiped it clean on the Orc’s garments. Then, with rage fuelling her she turned her attention to the wolf who still stood over her mate’s body, its ugly muzzle stained by and dripping with Bungo's blood. "You will pay for taking my husband from me!"

Dropping to her knees in the bloodied snow, the grieving Hobbit cradled her husband’s broken body in her arms and as she did her best to wipe his face clean, pain like she’d never known before filled Belladonna’s heart. Raising her head to the heavens, she vowed that she would avenge her soul mate and then she would find her sons; “I’m not losing anyone else I love today!” Belladonna whispered solemnly.

******

Loki was doing his best to keep Bilbo safely behind him but the deadly Orcs and sneaky wolves just kept coming and coming at them from all sides; it was a tough go keeping the small fauntling in his line of sight.

Try as he might, even a trained warrior like Loki could not possibly keep an eye on every enemy and finally, in a stroke of back luck, one managed to slip past his defences.

Having finished her battle against the wolf but taking on injuries of her Belladonna swiftly followed the sounds of battle and what she saw chilled her to her core, there was a deadly Orc blade heading straight for her sons. _'You will not be taking them from me, not today!'_ she screamed silently. No longer caring about her own safety Belladonna reacted as any mother would when they saw their children in danger: she put herself directly in the pathway of the blade.

"NO!" Twin cries of anguish filled the air and Loki and Bilbo watched in horror as Belladonna threw herself in front of them. In an instant, the world of both the brave little Hobbit and the God of Mischief changed forever. Having successfully defended her sons, Belladonna snarled viciously at the grinning Orc whose sword was sticking out of her chest; it was so busy gloating over its success that the beast never saw that Belladonna’s own bloody hand tightly gripped a stolen blade.

"You will not touch my children!" Belladonna snarled ferociously as she waited for the Orc to bend closer to retrieve its weapon and then, summoning the last of her fading strength, she thrust her stolen blade into the Orc's chest. Belladonna Baggins knew that she was dying but she was determined to use her last breath to take this monster with her.

The moment he saw Belladonna fall victim to the Orc’s fatal blow, Loki felt something snap deep within him and in his later years, Bilbo would describe what he witnessed that day to be more terrifying than anything else he’d ever experienced in his life.

Over the course of the next few moments Loki, son of Odin and brother of Thor, the God of Mischief destroyed all those who had taken their beloved mother from them.

When the battle was all over and the once pristine white snow was drenched with the blood of their enemies, Loki fell to his knees next to Belladonna's limp body. With tears in his eyes Bilbo crawled over to join his brother and curled into his side two grief-stricken little boys tried desperately to be brave one last time.

Belladonna smiled weakly at her sons, she knew that she didn't have much time left before she joined her husband but there was something she needed to say. "My brave boys, I'm so sorry that I am forced to leave you, but I go to a better place. Soon I will meet my soul mate, my beloved Bungo in Yavanna's lands."

Duel choked sobs of horror escaped Loki and Bilbo as they realised that Bungo was already lost to them. To know that they had already lost one parent and were now to lose another was far too much for their young hearts to handle at once.

"I'm sorry, my dears, that we are forced to leave you so soon but I go happy in the knowledge that you will always have each other.” She took hold of their hands and addressed them one at a time. “Loki, my brave young son, I know that you will look after Bilbo, that you will take care of your little brother. Bilbo, my curious little boy, do not give up your dreams of adventures, do not let the naysayers tear them down.” Belladonna coughed weakly.

“Please, mother, save your strength,” Loki pleaded with her while next to him, Bilbo choked back a sob.

“I want you both to know that I love you so very much and I'm very proud of how the two of you have turned out. Your father and I could not have asked for better sons. Please remember that we will always love you and watch over you," Belladonna whispered as her grip on their hands loosened and the light of her life faded from her eyes.

Bilbo threw himself across his mother’s still body and for several long moments there was no sound to be heard in the silent forest but the heartbroken sobs of a little orphaned Hobbit. Guilt-ridden that he hadn’t been able to defend his mother’s life, Loki burned the image of Belladonna’s beautiful face into his mind as he allowed silent tears to fall in scalding trails down his cheeks. Finally he pulled Bilbo into his arms and held him close, feeling his thin little body trembling against him.

Bilbo looked up at Loki his eyes red and swollen from crying. "What are we going to do now? What if they try to take me from you?" The thought of being separated from the only family he had left terrified him as much, perhaps even more, than the wolves and Orcs they’d just faced.

Gripping his younger brother by the arms, Loki looked deeply into his eyes. "No matter what happens, Bilbo, I will always be by your side. You are not alone anymore because we are family." Loki spoke his promised fiercely; while there was still breath in his body he would never allow anyone to take Bilbo away from him. He was the only family the god had left and he would not allow anyone to take Bilbo from him.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

The years passed as they are wont to do and the horrors of the Fell Winter healed and faded with time. Loki stayed true to his word and successfully fought against everyone who tried to take Bilbo away from him and Bilbo, despite the best attempts of the other Hobbits to stifle his curiosity, fully embraced his mother's adventurous side. He told them in no uncertain terms that he would not stay in the Shire and live a boring life, not when his mother had given her life so he could live. She had wanted him to see what was out there and to experience as much of the world as he possible could.

Despite their best intentions, the furthest the brothers had ever gotten to was Rivendell, where they met Lord Elrond and learned he was a good friend of their mother's. When he heard the story of how bravely she had defended the lives of her children, the elf had mourned the loss of such a bright soul.

Busy with daily life in the Shire, Bilbo and Loki one day learned that the most vocal opponent to their continuing family arrangement and the biggest complainer about their adventures and quests outside the village was Lobelia, whom Bilbo had rejected as a mate when he came of age. He did not feel about her the way that she claimed to feel about him and years later, although she had married someone else and built a family with him, it was clear she had never forgiven Bilbo for not choosing her as his mate.

Unwilling and unable to accept the love of her own family, Lobelia made it her sole purpose in life to do everything in her power to make Bilbo's life miserable. She tried very trick she could think of and twisted every law in the books to try and claim Bag End for herself. What she had no way of  knowing was that Bilbo Baggins was nobody’s fool and he had entrusted their home to the only Hobbit in the Shire that he and Loki both truly trusted, Hamfast, to keep an eye on Bag End whenever they were off on their adventures.

No matter how far away they travelled, Bilbo and Loki always made sure to return home to pay their respects at their parents’ final resting place and to make sure that Lobelia hadn't driven poor Hamfast off with her demands of getting Bag End. Little did they know how much their lives would change on one fateful trip home as a meddling wizard, who was at that very moment directing a ragtag company of thirteen dwarves towards Bag End.

When the two groups finally met no one's lives would ever be the same again.

******

Gandalf the Grey as he was known stepped foot in Hobbiton for the first time since Belladonna Baggins had perished in the Fell Winter. He truly missed his dear friend but he was pleased to hear from his good friend Elrond that Bilbo had indeed followed after his mother and had been leaving Hobbiton with his adopted brother on a regular basis. _'I know Bilbo is the right Hobbit for this adventure but it was hard enough to convince Thorin they needed a fourteenth member for their quest. I'm not sure how that stubborn dwarf is going to react to a fifteenth member, but Bilbo and Loki are a joint pair, there will never be one without the other.’_ Gandalf chuckled silently; _‘This shall be a very interesting first meeting.'_

******  
That morning as he sat out on the front steps of Bag Den, listening to the birdsong and enjoying his pipe, Bilbo Baggins had no idea how his life was going to change. As he blew a series of smoke rings into the cool air his smile became a pout as he watched Loki blow a perfect bird that destroyed his rings with its wings. "I will never understand how you are able to do that, Loki; it's just not fair." Bilbo watched the bird fade away; “beautiful, but not fair!”

Loki smiled indulgently at his little brother. "I can't help it that I've got talent you could never hope to have," he teased the Hobbit.

Bilbo's eyes narrowed as he waved his pipe at his smirking sibling, "Just you wait until our next riddle competition and if I remember correctly, which we both know I do, I've beaten you several times in a row," Bilbo pointed out smugly.

"Careful, brother, you're not being proper," Loki pointed out in return as a few Hobbits stopped by during their errands for their daily dose of Baggins-staring. Thorough disgusted by the small minds in the Shire, Loki could already hear the newest set of rumours about them; for quite some time now it seemed that the other Hobbits had nothing better to do than gossip about the Baggins brothers.

Even though he’d been living ever-so-happily in the land of the Hobbits for many years, there was one thing that the former God of Mischief truly missed: his magical powers. It would seem that whatever magic flowed through this world it was very different from his own. The residents of Hobbiton and its environs worshipped their own gods and because gods gained their powers from the faith of their followers Loki was no longer a true god. However, that did not mean he didn’t have access to some of his magic; he just wasn’t as powerful as he once was.

Frustratingly for him, Loki had taken ill several times since his fall from Rainbow Bridge and he’d had to stay in bed but you’d never hear him complain. Each time he’d been well cared for, babied even, first by Belladonna and then later by Bilbo; it was so reminiscent of the first time he’d met the Baggins family that rather than be upset by his illness, he’d come to treasure those bouts of sickness.

Although it had been difficult at first getting used to having no real magical powers to speak of he wouldn’t change becoming a part of the Baggins family for all the magic in the world. Loki was proud of his little family and that pride only grew deeper when Bilbo grew up strong and independent and able to merely shrug off the obnoxious, unwanted and narrow-minded opinions of the other villagers.

Having grown up with Loki, Bilbo had learned early on that the opinions of others didn’t matter, not as long as he had family who loved, encouraged and accepted him for who he was. “Why should it matter to you what they think? They will always find something to complain about where we’re concerned,” Bilbo pointed out as he took another puff of his pipe. “And if it’s not us, then they’re be picking on someone else.”

"My good Hobbit, that is just the kind of thing I would expect to hear from Belladonna’s sons,” a rather cheery voice piped up. “Your mother would be so very proud of you.”

Two pairs of eyes widened with surprise as both brothers jumped to their feet and turned to see an elderly man in grey robes leaning on his staff and staring at them with a knowing twinkle in his eyes. Loki’s gaze narrowed suspiciously as he sensed the waves of powerful magic pouring off the man. “What do you want here, wizard?” Loki demanded as he took a protective stance in front of Bilbo; he wasn’t about to let anyone drag his brother into something dangerous.

“I am Gandalf the Grey and I am looking for someone to share an adventure with me,” the wizard introduced himself with a smile and a low courtly bow.

Loki and Bilbo shared a look both curious and wary; that name, they clearly remembered their mother speaking fondly of the wizard that she had travelled with in her youth. The last time they had seen him was at their parents’ funerals although he had remained on the outskirts of the proceedings and had vanished without speaking to either of them afterwards. Loki instinctively knew by the sparkle in the older man’s eyes that he was up to something.

“What kind of adventure?” Loki found himself asking.

The wizard studied the dark-haired man; he could feel the power pouring off of him. _‘Perhaps it would be a good thing to have Loki along on the journey, they might have a better chance of making it with a powerful force like him with them.’_ Aloud the elderly man announced, “That is a long story, my friend, one that might be better told and appreciated at tea-time.”

Like Loki Bilbo could tell that Gandalf was hiding something from them. “And just how many would be joining us for tea?” the Hobbit inquired casually.

Gandalf shrugged his shoulders. “Merely a few, the ones to whom this adventure truly belongs should be present to tell you their tale in their own words.”

Bilbo and Loki shared another look their eyes sharing a silent conversation. They had inherited Belladonna’s passionate love of adventure but also Bungo’s wisdom of restraint; they would proceed with caution. “I guess it cannot hurt to hear them out, don’t you agree, brother? When shall they be arriving?" Bilbo asked on behalf of them both.

"Sometime later this evening I suspect." Gandalf didn’t want to give away exactly when Thorin Oakenshield and company would be arriving. He would rather they surprised the two Baggins, although if he wanted their help he would have no choice but to give them a little hint as to when their ‘guests’ were coming but not how many they should expect; _‘after all, a wizard has to have some fun.’_

Gandalf watched with amusement as Loki and Bilbo held another silent conversation; it always amazed him at the strong bond that existed between the two brothers. Their conversation seemed to reach an end as Loki turned to face him and Gandalf found himself straightening up at the look in the man's eyes.

"Very well, you and your friends may join us for dinner, but know this, wizard, I will not allow any harm to come to my brother." Loki growled out protective warning and Gandalf was sure that for just a moment he saw Loki's skin flicker blue.

_'You are certainly an interesting one, Loki Baggins, and I wonder what kind of secrets you hold. This is certainly going to be a much more interesting journey than I originally thought it was going to be.'_ Gandalf smiled politely. "You have my word that I shall do my very best to ensure young Bilbo's safety. I shall inform them right away."

Bilbo and Loki watched as the wizard wandered away. "You know he didn't tell us how many of them there would be coming," the Hobbit pointed out wryly once the wizard was out of sight.

An exasperated sigh escaped Loki's lips. "Well then I guess we better head down to the market place, cos something tells me that this isn’t going to be just a few guests coming for dinner."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Gandalf had waited and watched from a safe distance as the two brothers left Bag End and returned from a trip to the market, and then he waited a little while longer, until he was sure that Bilbo and Loki were busy working on supper, before he placed his mark on the door.

As a knock sound at the door Bilbo and Loki exchanged a wary look, no one ever came to visit this late at night and something told them that this had to do with their conversation with Gandalf that morning. While Bilbo was excited about meeting new people, Loki was more leery about allowing strangers into their lives. He didn't trust Gandalf and he definitely wouldn't be trusting anyone that the wizard might bring around.

Bilbo glanced around worriedly, he and Loki hadn't yet finished cooking and already their first guest had arrived, then he looked at his own untouched meal. _'I guess it wouldn't hurt to feed our guest first; I can always eat later. Oh dear, what if there’s more than one? What if we haven't cooked enough food?'_ The Hobbit began fretting even more as he looked around the kitchen, trying to decide what to do next.

Loki saw the anxious twitching of his brother's hands and knew what was running through the Hobbit's mind; he placed a hand on Bilbo's shoulder and tried to calm his brother down. "Bilbo, there are two dinners ready so don’t worry, we won't let anyone go hungry. Now come on, we should greet our guest."

Taking a deep breath Bilbo attempted to calm himself down, he couldn't help but feel nervous; something was telling him the moment they opened the door nothing was going to be the same again in his and Loki's lives.

Bilbo was bouncing on his feet as he reached the door first and he couldn't help but send a smug smile to his brother because normally Loki made sure he opened the door to any visitor first; it was an overly-protective big brother thing.

Opening the door the two brothers blinked in unison as they came face to face with a dwarf and Bilbo felt his jaw drop with surprise. Belladonna had told him stories of a race of little people and ever since, he’d always wanted to meet one.

“Dwalin, son of Fundin, at your service,” the dwarf bowed low to the two.

"Bilbo Baggins and this is my brother, Loki, sons of Bungo Baggins, at your service. If you don't mind us asking, just how many of you are going to be coming as Gandalf never told us that," Bilbo asked in his politest voice.

Dwalin's eyebrow rose high and if he had hair it would have disappeared beneath it, of course the wizard wouldn't tell them what they needed to know. Why would he? After all, it would only be helpful. "Aye, there will be thirteen of us."

A knowing look was exchanged between brothers. "I take it you will all be rather hungry after such a long journey," Loki stated instead of asking.

Dwalin felt his lips twitching up into a smile; he already liked these two. "Aye, some food would be very much welcomed if it wouldn't be too much trouble." Perhaps having them join the quest wouldn’t be the hardship everyone was expecting.

While Bilbo was not a typical Hobbit in many ways, he had been well and properly brought up and no son of Belladonna Baggins would allow any guest go hungry. "Of course it's no trouble, I have some supper all ready to go, so please, help yourself," Bilbo cheerfully told Dwalin.

Loki could only shake his head at his brother's kindness; of course Bilbo would be willing to give up his supper to a starving dwarf. It was just one of the things that he loved so much about his brother.

Dwalin could only blink at the kindness of the small creature before him. He had been unsure about Hobbits from the moment he’d stepped foot in the green hills as every other Hobbit he’d met along the way had just stared at him without ever saying anything. But this Bilbo Baggins was different, that he could see right off the bat; not only did he claim a strange man as a brother but he was willing to give up his own dinner to someone he just met. In Dwalin’s opinion those were the actions of a good man who possessed a very kind heart.

_'This is supposed to be our burglar? What is that wizard thinking! Bilbo Baggins is far too kind-hearted for this kind of mission. I for one do not want to see this little one eaten by Smaug.'_ Dwalin hoped that when Gandalf had asked for their help that Bilbo and Loki had said no and were content to stay safe in their nice little house.

Bilbo didn't wait for Dwalin to give him an answer as he snagged the dwarf by the hand and dragged him in to the house. "Come along, you must be starving and the food is going to go cold. I know what you’re thinking and I can always eat later after I make sure that I have enough food for our guests. I may not be a proper Hobbit in the eyes of the others but I do know the right way to treat our guest and no guest of the Baggins' will go hungry," Bilbo declared firmly.

Dwalin turned his gaze on to Loki who just shrugged as if to say, ‘What are you going to do?’ and then he offered this piece of advice, “It would be easier if you just went along with him; trust me when I say it's hard to change Bilbo's mind when it's set."

The tattooed dwarf felt the corner of his lips twitching up into a full smile as he allowed Bilbo to pull him further into the cozy-looking house, all the while thinking he was looking forward to seeing how this stubborn Hobbit was going to get along with Thorin. He was certain it was going to be quite the show.

Still in a protective stance, Loki stood in the doorway watching as Bilbo hovered worriedly over Dwalin who seemed to be really enjoying the hot food; in fact, the only time Bilbo left the dwarf alone was when he went to check on the food that was still cooking.

Dwalin was growing rather fond of the fretting Hobbit; it had been a long time since anyone but his brother worried if his food was warm enough and it felt nice to feel so cared for. "Aye, laddie, is there anymore?" Dwalin asked Bilbo hopefully.

Bilbo nodded eagerly. "Of course! Let me get you some more." Dwalin barely had time to blink as Bilbo bounced off the kitchen to collect him more food.

"He's a good one, your brother," Dwalin commented to Loki, hoping to put the man at ease. He knew the look in the dark-haired man's eyes; he was overprotective of his little brother. _'Thorin will have to tread carefully with this one.'_

"Here you go!" Bilbo had returned from the kitchen just as quickly as he’d disappeared. Truth be told, the young Hobbit was absolutely thrilled to be playing host; he and Loki rarely ever had guests, Hamfast and one or two others, so being able to entertain a total stranger was just exhilarating.

Dwalin was pulled from his thoughts as Bilbo placed a fresh plate of steaming food in front of him. The dwarf fought hard not to drool _too_ much over the generous pile of delicious-smelling roast beef that was placed before him; it was accompanied by rich gravy smothering creamy mashed potatoes, and fluffy biscuits drenched in fresh butter. It was a feast unlike anything Dwalin had ever laid eyes on.

"Thank you, Bilbo," Dwalin muttered before he dug into the fresh food and fought the urge to moan aloud at the pure taste sensations that exploded in his mouth. _'We need to take them along if only for the food!'_

The ringing of the doorbell had Bilbo and Loki pulling their attention away from Dwalin, who tried not to growl at his quiet supper being ruined. Bilbo noticed the way that his brother was looking at their guest and he sighed softly; it was clear that Loki didn't trust Dwalin and wasn't going to leave him alone with Bilbo. "I'll get the door," Bilbo offered. He could hardly contain his excitement; he was finally meeting dwarves. _‘If only you were here, mom,’_ he thought as he crossed the room. _‘We’re having dinner with real, live dwarves!’_

Loki and Dwalin said nothing as they watched him go. "He seems like a good lad, Loki; I can see why you are rather protective of him." Dwalin grunted around a mouthful of food as he broke the tension that was slowly building between him and Loki.

Loki's eyes flew back to Dwalin. "You will never find a kinder soul than Bilbo Baggins! He is braver than even he knows and whoever his soul mate turns out to be is the luckiest soul alive."

Dwalin found that he couldn't disagree with Loki's opinion of the Hobbit; he suspected that there were many hidden depths to Bilbo and he couldn't help but feel a tinge of protectiveness over the small hobbit himself. Knowing the dangers that lay ahead of them on their quest, the dwarf suddenly realised that he didn't want to see kind-hearted Bilbo face the dragon, especially when he was pretty sure how badly things were going to turn out.

_‘Something tells me that the wizard won't be getting us our burglar as easily as he said he could.'_ Dwalin knew an overprotective brother when he saw one – he had one of his own, after all – and there was no doubt in his mind that Loki was just that. His eyes then caught sight of something over Loki’s shoulder, a wonderful something just sitting on the shelf waiting to be noticed and he felt his lips curl up into a smile. "Is that cookie jar full?"

Loki followed Dwalin's gaze and felt his own smile light up his face. "Well, yes, it is. I do believe that Bilbo filled it with a fresh batch of cookies just this morning, why don't we get some milk and see how they turned out?"

Oh yes, Dwalin really was beginning to like Loki. "Laddie, it's like you read my mind." Pushing his empty plate away from him, the dwarf eagerly followed Loki into the kitchen; dunking cookies in milk was one of his best talents and he was looking forward to showing off for his new friend.

******

Bilbo felt giddiness filling him as he opened the door and came face-to-face with another dwarf. "Hello, I'm Bilbo Baggins and welcome to my home."

"It is an honour to meet you Master Bilbo; I am Balin, at your service." Balin favoured the small Hobbit with a smile and a low bow.

Bilbo smiled back at him and moved aside to allow Balin to enter Bag End. "You must be hungry after such a long journey; one of your companions is already enjoying dinner and there’s plenty to go around."

Balin was pleased to find that Bilbo Baggins was nothing like the other Hobbits he had come across; they hadn't been friendly at all, what with their glares, stares and rude, half-whispered comments intended for him to hear. "Aye, laddie, a good hot meal would be greatly welcomed." He wondered who’d beaten him to the Hobbit’s home first and after Bilbo hung up his cloak, Balin followed him in to the kitchen. "Why am I not surprised?" Balin muttered and rolled his eyes as he and Bilbo came upon Dwalin and Loki digging into the cookie jar.

"Brother!" Dwalin moved to embrace his older brother, leaving the cookie jar he had been raiding in Loki's hands.

Bilbo graced his own brother with a fond look as Balin and Dwalin had their reunion. "You just couldn't stay out of the cookies, could you?"

Loki shrugged his shoulders and without the slightest bit of guilt, he pulled out another chocolate cookie and bit into it. "No, I could not."

Balin couldn't help but look between Bilbo and Loki; it was clear from their body langue that their hosts shared a familiar bond even if they looked absolutely nothing alike. _'They are true brothers, just not of blood.'_ Parting from his own brother Balin bowed again this time to Loki. "I am Balin, son Fundin, and it is an honour to be in your home."

Loki nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I am Loki Baggins, and my brother and I welcome you to our home."

Balin knew that there was a story behind this unusual brotherhood but it wasn't his place to demand answers and he reminded himself to make sure that the others know that as well. "Thank you, lad, now someone mentioned a hot meal?"

Bilbo grinned. "That I did and if your brother has had his fill of my cookies there is much more food to eat."

Dwalin cast an almost longing look at the cookie jar. "Only if I can have another cookie afterwards," he demanded sounding like a small child.

A bright laugh came from Bilbo; it was the kind of laugh that always made Loki feel warmer. "Of course you can, my friend!"

That was the deciding factor for Dwalin; he was going to ensure that Bilbo and Loki both came along with them, if only to have continued access to their delicious cooking.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Balin and Dwalin – even though he’d already had seconds and a handful of cookies – had tucked into the meal and both dwarves were generous with their compliments to the chef. Bilbo was grateful that he and Loki had stocked up on supplies and had prepared unusually large amounts of food, but at the same time he couldn't help but worry that it might not be enough given the way Dwalin and Balin were working their way through the meal they had created. Bilbo was contemplating putting a fresh pot of soup on the burner, just in case, when he was pulled from his thoughts by the ringing doorbell.

This time as Bilbo went to answer it he had company as Loki trailed behind him; there was something tugging in his gut, something he couldn’t put his finger on but Loki’s instincts told him that whoever was behind that door was going to become very important to him.

After Bilbo opened the door, he and Loki found two dwarves, younger than Dwalin and Balin, standing before them and upon spotting their hosts, they smiled and bowed as one.

"Fili," the blond dwarf introduced himself as he stood to his full height.

"And Kili," the dark-haired one spoke up, smiling brightly at both of them.

"At your service," they stated in perfect unison.

Loki barely heard them speak; all he could see was Fili. The blond dwarf sang to him in ways he had long ago stopped dreaming of. Instinctively Loki knew that at long last he had found his soul bond, the true other half of his soul just as Belladonna had told him he would. _‘He’s here, mother, just as you promised, he’s finally here.’_

Fili found that suddenly he couldn't breathe as he stared at the strange-looking man before him, he was so unlike any man he had ever seen before, but there was something very about him that spoke to his deepest heart.

As his eyebrows disappeared beneath his hairline Bilbo glanced between his brother and the blond dwarf with unconcealed curiosity, and as he saw the way the two were looking at one another it reminded him so much of the way his parents would look at one another. _'I'm happy for you, brother, I truly am; I just wish that I could find my soul mate.'_

Bilbo wasn't the only one who noticed the lingering looks between Loki and Fili. Kili’s eyes narrowed suspiciously; he had never seen his brother look at anyone the way he was looking at the dark-haired man standing before them, and it took him a moment before he realised what was going on. Immediately, Kili was torn between jumping for joy because his brother had found his One or and threatening the man before him with just what he would do to him should he ever hurt his brother.

Somehow Loki was the first find his voice. "I am Loki Baggins and this is my brother, Bilbo and we welcome you to our home." He gave a small bow intended for both brothers but his eyes never left Fili's.

Bilbo and Kili shared an uncomfortable look; it felt like they were intruding on a rather private moment between their brothers. "Kili, why don't I show you were you can put your belongings and then I'll take you to the others who have already arrived?" Bilbo offered more than a little anxious to get away from Loki and Fili.

Kili grinned cheekily at the Hobbit. "That sounds wonderful, Mister Boggins."

Bilbo raised an eyebrow at the unusual name but could see the playful side in the dwarf and that he didn't mean any harm in it. "It's Baggins, but you can call me Bilbo, Kee."

That brought a broader grin to Kili's face; like the other dwarves who had arrived before them, he and Fili had been worried about this Hobbit burglar that Gandalf wanted them to hire. After all, given the nasty looks and intimidating glares they had received upon their arrival in the Shire, they were really expecting the worst but he was glad to see their burglar was completely different than all the other Hobbits. "Lead on, Bilbo, my new friend!" He was starving and a good meal sounded wonderful at that moment.

Neither Loki or Fili noticed when they’d been left by their brothers, they only had eyes for one another, that is, until Fili's stomach let itself be known and quite loudly too.

Loki couldn't help but laugh at the look of embarrassment and horror on Fili's face as he glanced down at his stomach which chose that moment to once again let out a loud grumble of protest at being ignored. "Do not worry yourself, after living with Hobbits you get quite used to the sound, since there’s only four of you so far there should be some supper left."

Fili returned Loki's easy-going smile. "I'm not too sure about that; I do believe Kili's down there and there might not be very much left."

Loki shook his head a playful smirk replacing his smile. "Ah yes, that might be true at other places but this is a Hobbit hole and a Hobbit-planned feast, trust me there is more than enough food to go around." Seeing the look of confusion in Fili's eyes Loki only shook his head again and explained, "While Bilbo is not like other Hobbits there are a few things he can't change, like his love of food and cooking. We always have lots of left-overs even when it’s the two of us."

******

Kili was moaning in pure bliss after his first bite into the meat that Bilbo had piled on his plate when Fili and Loki joined them. Fili took in the equally blissed-out looks on Dwalin and Balin's faces and a quick sniff in the air almost had him drooling. He had barely taken the empty seat next to his brother when Bilbo was placing a plate of mouth-watering food in front of him. The first bite had him groaning obscenely in pleasure as well and at that moment he decided that if Loki and Bilbo didn't come questing with them then he was staying in Bag End with them. From the appreciative sounds Dwalin and Kili were making over their own food, Fili was pretty sure he wouldn't be the only one.

Bilbo felt happiness surge through him as he listened to the sounds of pleasure all around him; it had been such a long time since he’d had the chance to cook such a feast. The last time had been at Rivendell when he and Loki had wanted to thank Elrond and the rest of the elves for their hospitality and friendship. _'I just hope the others like it as well when they get here.'_

*******

It turns out Bilbo didn't need to worry about any of his guests not liking his cooking; the other seven dwarves who had fallen into his home along with an amused Gandalf standing behind them enjoyed their heaping plates of food just as much as their companions. Between the delicious smells permeating the simple home and the sounds of the other dwarves enjoying the home-cooked meal, the newcomers were quickly straightening themselves out and mumbling a few greetings.

Bilbo and Loki blinked at how fast they introduced themselves before they were seated at the table and eagerly helping themselves to the feast laid out before them. For several very long moments there were no words spoken as the hungry visitors stuffed Bilbo’s delicious food into their mouths.

Bilbo performed a quick head count and realised that they were still one dwarf short, so while Loki was sitting and getting to know the dwarves, more importantly getting to know Fili better, Bilbo was setting aside a plate loaded with healthy portions of his best dishes. He didn't know why but something was telling him that his life was about to change yet again and that the change would be brought about by their last-to-arrive guest.

A low solemn knock, one, two, three raps, broke Bilbo out of his musings and silence fell over the table so suddenly that it had both Loki and Bilbo blinking at one another. If Bilbo wasn't mistaken he thought that his brother looked a little deflated at having his conversation with Fili end so abruptly.

Gandalf uttered two words that would forever change Bilbo Baggins’ world, "He's here."

Bilbo didn't need any prompting as his feet took over and moved him towards his front door; Loki started to follow but a look from Gandalf and a brief shake of the wizard's head had him staying put. Apparently, opening the door this time was something Bilbo needed to do himself. 

Taking a deep breath Bilbo stilled his curiously shaking hands, pulled the door open, and saw blue, blue the colour of a summer sky, the colour of a deep-water lake, a blue that made his mouth go dry. In that moment as Bilbo stared into the impossibly blue eyes of the dwarf standing before him, he knew he had found his soul bond.

Thorin Oakenshield was a king even though he had no kingdom over which to rule and no subjects to advise. He had been raised to know how to say the right thing at just the right time, but as he gazed at the beautiful creature with the curly golden hair standing before him all his words deserted him and he was left to stare silently at his One.

Neither dwarf nor Hobbit could find the strength to break their gaze and silence fell over them.

******

Back in the dining room it was clear that everyone was straining to pick up any words between their host and the new arrival and as each second passed with no sound the more worried Loki became; he really, _really_ disliked the growing silence.

"It's too quiet," Fili muttered to his brother.

Kili had a worried look on his face. "I know, Thorin being that quiet is never a good thing. You don't think he's done something to Mister Boggins, do you?"

And that question was the last thing Loki needed to hear before he was shoving back his chair and making his way to the home’s entryway with protectiveness pouring off him in waves.

A startled sound escaped Kili's lips as Fili quickly followed after the overprotective big brother, and then Kili turned his attention to those remaining. "Should we join them?"

It took just a moment for the dwarves to come to a decision. Since most of them wanted to make sure that Thorin didn't scare away the wonderful Hobbit who made them such delicious food and Kili wanted to make sure that his future brother didn't end up murdering his stubborn uncle in a fit of big brother protectiveness, it was decided to join the party at the door.

Before anyone could actually move away from the table, the moment was broken when Thorin and Bilbo, as well as a scowling Loki and a panicking Fili joined them all in the kitchen. Thorin felt something tighten in his chest when he saw the way the unfamiliar man moved quickly to take a protective stance behind the Hobbit, _his_ Hobbit.

Could this strange-looking man be his One's mate?

"Loki, it seems our last guest has arrived, I'm sorry I didn't get your name.” Bilbo actually blushed as he remembered the reason why he hadn’t asked earlier. “I'm Bilbo Baggins and this is my brother, Loki, and you are?" He smiled disarmingly at the unknown dwarf.

The vice around Thorin's heart loosened as he realised that the odd man was no threat to the wonderful future he could have with the Hobbit. "I am Thorin Oakenshield and I thank you for giving my company a place to rest and eat." He bowed his head courteously.

Upon noticing the rest of his company, including the wizard, Gandalf, hovering in the background Thorin narrowed his eyes at the elderly man. "Gandalf, I thought you said this place would be easy to find. I got lost… twice!"

No one dared say anything but there was definitely a smile twitching at the corners of Dwalin's mouth while Fili and Kili looked like they are about to burst into laughter at any moment. They had to keep their gazes away from their uncle as Balin let out a small cough that sounded suspiciously like a laugh into his hand. They were all very well used to Thorin getting lost when he wasn't on a mountain; any other time or place he couldn’t find his way out of a paper bag with a map in one hand and a guide dwarf holding the other.

Gandalf merely shrugged as Bilbo of all people moved forward to take Thorin's cloak from him; he didn’t think anyone saw the way his fingers lingered for just a moment on the dwarf’s shoulders. Loki's eyes narrowed into dangerous slits as he studied the two before him and Fili shifted a little closer to Loki if only to stop the man from attempting to kill his uncle should he say the wrong thing to Bilbo.

And then Thorin just had to open his big mouth.

Thorin stared at Bilbo, studying the Hobbit before him with open curiosity, “Tell me, Mr Baggins, have you done much fighting? Sword or axe, what’s your weapon of choice?” He tilted his head to side as he considered the possibilities. “Or do you perhaps prefer a different type of weapon?”

Fili couldn't help but hang his head in dismay; that was _exactly_ the kind of question that he had hoped Thorin would avoid asking.

Ignoring the rapid fire method in which they were asked, Bilbo's brow furrowed as he pondered the strange questions and then he looked Thorin straight in the eye. “I’ll have you know I am quite the swordsman, thanks to my brother.” Bilbo smiled proudly at Loki. “And you’ll not find a better swords master than my brother to come along on this journey.” He didn’t often get the chance to praise his brother to others and it felt good to do so.

Loki smiled down at his brother before fixing a glare on the Dwarf King. "I will be going along on this quest no matter what you say. Bilbo is my brother and there is no way that I will allow him to go alone and into unknown dangers." There was a finality to his voice that brooked no argument from anyone in the room.

At that moment Thorin was reminded of his own **sister-son’s** **–** they wouldn’t go anywhere without the other one either. To be honest he knew that they would need all the help they could possibly get in order to succeed with their quest and reclaim Erebor.

Noting Gandalf’s half-hidden smirk, Thorin came to a sudden realisation. "I take it the wizard has not yet told you of our quest?"

Both Loki and Bilbo shook their heads; even though they’d asked casual questions about the dwarves’ mission, all evening their guests had been mum about what their quest was about and why they would need a burglar.

But one look at Thorin and the way their newest arrival kept eyeing the half-finished food on the table, Bilbo decided he could wait for answers a little longer. "You must be starving after your long journey. Why don't you eat first and then we can talk." Bilbo offered Thorin a seat before turning to Dwalin, "I do believe that I promised you cookies?"

The way Dwalin's eyes lit up at the word cookies had Thorin growling in displeasure but sound didn't do anything to dampen his old friend’s enthusiasm and Dwalin merely grinned at him.

 "Aye, that ye did, lad, and I think I've earned them." Dwalin grinned even brighter at not only the promise of more delicious, freshly-baked cookies but also at the scowl gracing his king's face. Oh yes, suddenly their journey was definitely going to get a lot more interesting!

With a sudden jolt of self-realisation, Thorin knew in his heart that he could not let the Hobbit or his brother come along on this quest; it was far too dangerous! No dwarf in his right mind would allow his One to face a dragon even if he did have his brother by his side. But at the same time, after years of thinking it might never happen, he had finally found the only person in the world who completed his soul and he simply could not let him go.

Slowly, as Thorin ate serving after delicious serving of Bilbo’s best dishes, the dwarves revealed the story behind their quest. Sharing in the telling, with each dwarf relating a part, the Baggins’ brother heard about Erebor, the last great dwarf kingdom, which had been stolen from them by Smaug, a dragon, as well as about the loss of the human city, Dale, and finally about how their ally, the elf King of Greenwood, Thranduil, had cruelly turned his troops away from them in their time of dire need, leaving the valiant dwarves to their fate.

It didn't take Loki long to figure out what game the crafty dwarves were playing. "You're planning on taking back Erebor, aren't you?"

"The fire drake has not been seen for over sixty years and the birds are returning to the mountain,” Balin calmly explained. “It is a sign."

Slowly it became clear as to just why they were there and the mere thought of it made his Asgard blood boil. “You want my brother to face a dragon? Are you insane?” Loki roared his rage at the idea of Bilbo placed in such a danger so loudly that the windows rattled. As he stared intimidating at Thorin, waiting for the dwarf to respond, his fierce icy anger lowered the temperature in the room until everyone but him and Gandalf were shivering both with the cold and with fear.

“Loki, please, calm yourself down,” Bilbo pleaded as he placed a placating hand on Loki’s arm in hopes to cooling his brother’s raging fury.

Irresistibly drawn to support his soul mate, Fili was at Loki's other side in a flash and as he rested his hand on Loki's right arm he made the solemn promise, "I swear to you that if Bilbo does come with us I will do everything in my power to ensure his safe return."

Loki's mouth went dry as the promise of his brother’s safety in those eyes along with so much more intended just for him, and he knew he didn't want anything to happen to Fili or he would never forgive himself. There was only one way to make sure that both men remained alive and well: "Bilbo will be coming home safely because if he's going then so am I."

"Can you fight?" Dwalin asked immediately, effectively stopping any protest that Thorin might have made.

A fairly sinister, almost dangerous smirk appeared on Loki's face as he continued to look only at a single dwarf. "Oh I can fight and I would be more than happy to demonstrate for you all." There was definitely a glint of direct challenge in his eyes as he stared at Thorin.

"Loki! No!” Bilbo was aghast by Loki’s behaviour. “They are our guest!" Knowing his brother’s deadly skill with a weapon, Bilbo didn't want him to challenge anyone to a sword fight unless it was an enemy.

Tension filled the room and those seated around the table didn’t know whether they should get up and make room for a battle or stay where they were as Thorin and Loki stared at one another. The silence was only broken when Gandalf stepped forward and produced a key that he had been given by Thorin's father for safe keeping many, many years before. “Excuse me,” the elderly wizard cleared his throat.

Deep sighs of immense relief left Bilbo and Fili at the same time as both Thorin and Loki turned their attention to Gandalf.

******

After Bofur had given Bilbo a bit of a scare about what he would be facing should he meet Smaug, it took several minutes to calm everyone down and Loki was rather proud of his brother for not fainting as any other Hobbit would have. The two took the contract that Balin had given presented to them and stole away to their father's study to look it over. The document was precise and easy to read; the reason why the dwarves’ quest had led them to Bag End turned out to be quite simple. It seemed that a Hobbit's scent would not be known to a dragon and if that Hobbit could be undetectable _and_ sneaky that was so much the better.

As the Baggins brothers discussed the pros and cons of joining the dwarves, an unusual sound came to them from beyond the study’s closed door.

_Far over the Misty Mountains cold_  
To dungeons deep and caverns old  
We must away ere break of day,  
To find our long-forgotten gold

_The pines were roaring on the height_  
The winds were moaning in the night  
The fire was red, it flaming spread  
The trees like torches blazed with light

As Thorin's song and hypnotic music drifted over them Loki could see the spell Thorin's voice was weaving over and around his brother and he didn't like it one little bit. _'There is no way that I am letting Bilbo go off with these dwarves without me,’_ he silently declared. _‘Who knows what this Thorin may try and force on my innocent baby brother.'_ Loki scowled as he pictured all the horrible things Thorin may try on his brother; Bilbo was far too innocent of the ways of the world, of life and of men. No, if Bilbo was going on a dangerous quest with a bunch of strangers, then so was he; there was no way he was leaving his only brother unprotected.

"I want to help them, brother, you of all people should understand why." There was no malice or heat to Bilbo's words just a soft reminder that Loki knew what it was like to be without a home.

Loki realised there was no way short of tying him up and locking him in his room that would stop Bilbo from joining Thorin and the others so he sat back and silently watched his brother happily sign the contract. Then he thought of Fili and he remembered seeing the intense longing in those beautiful green eyes to know his home as well as the responding ache in his own heart and he knew what his decision had to be.

Bilbo smiled brightly and gratefully as Loki added his name next to his. "Come on, brother, let's go tell them before I change my mind," Loki grumbled but Bilbo knew that there was no way his brother was going to be changing his mind. After all, he’d been the first person to witness the emotional exchange between Fili and Loki and he was quite sure that it was of the same feeling that had come over him when he’d first seen Thorin.

The dwarves had finished singing their haunting song when Loki and Bilbo entered the living room, and the smile on Bilbo's face as he handed Balin contract told them it had been signed. "We will join you."

Balin studied it and looked at the other dwarves  with a smile. "Welcome then to the company of Thorin Oakenshield."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

The Baggins brothers quickly discovered that travelling with the dwarves was much more interesting than it had been when it was the two of them or even when they had travelled with Rangers or elves. Loki couldn't help but be reminded of his brother Thor’s friends,  the Warriors Three, only in this case there was more of them.

They made quick friends with Kili, Fili, Bofur and Bombur, a fun-loving dwarf who had made no secret of the fact that he wished he’d stayed longer in Hobbiton the moment he’d learned they ate seven meals a day. As the small band left the Shire behind them in the early morning mist, the plump dwarf had fallen to the very back of the pack and had paused several times to cast looks of longing at the quiet village. He could smell various foods being cooked for breakfast and even though his belly was full to bursting, his mouth watered at the enticing aromas.

If Loki had to pick a favourite dwarf other than Fili and Kili it would be Bofur. Out of everyone he’d met over the last twelve hours, he had been the most open-minded and welcoming to having him and Bilbo join their quest. He now counted the dwarf among his closet of kin so when it became clear that Bofur was soul-bonded to Dwalin but the royal guard didn't seem to notice despite the way Bofur looked at him. Loki wanted to roll his eyes at how oblivious to love the dwarves were turning out to be, _'Honestly how can anyone be this blind, to miss your soul mate when he’s standing right before your eyes?'_

Bilbo quickly found another friend among their little group and it was clear that the Hobbit was utterly enchanted by Myrtle and if Loki wasn’t mistaken – and he rarely was when it came to things concerning his brother – Thorin was casting looks of jealousy at the poor innocent pony. That was prime teasing material right there and he just knew that two certain dwarf princes were going to enjoy helping him.

Still, while Thorin may show a bit of jealousy regarding Bilbo making friends with others it didn't stop him being cold and distant around the poor Hobbit. Everyone could see how much his behaviour was hurting Bilbo's feelings and that made Loki want to rip him apart for putting such a sad look into Bilbo's eyes.

Loki knew that Bilbo and Thorin were soul bonded even though the idiot king didn't seem to realise it. _'Of everyone in all of Middle-Earth my brother has to be bonded to this idiot!'_ He was wondering how he could make the stubborn dwarf see what was right under his nose without punching him in it first – you know, just to get his attention? _‘Somehow, I don’t think Bilbo would appreciate me breaking his intended,’_ Loki grinned at himself.

Fili was amazed that his uncle was still among the living what with the fidgety gaze Loki was boring into his back, and even though the look wasn't directed at him Fili still found himself shivering from the force of it. Before he could stop them the words came spilling out of Fili’s mouth, "Please don't kill my uncle! I know he can be a little slow when it comes to the matters of the heart but he really does care about Bilbo."

Cocking an eyebrow Loki turned to face the young dwarf who had drawn his attention from the moment they’d met. "Oh, Fili, I have no plans on killing Thorin, it would anger Bilbo too much if I did, but that doesn't mean I'm not above pranking him," and the God of Mischief waggled his eyebrows naughtily.

Fili knew he shouldn't perk up at that but if there was one thing he loved it was causing mischief and from the merry twinkle in his eyes Fili knew that Loki had something special in store for his relative. _‘I cannot_ _wait to see what_ _my_ _man has_ _planned_ _for_ _my_ _stubborn oaf of an uncle!’_

******

Fili and Kili thought the world of Bilbo Baggins and Kili knew for a fact that Fili thought even more of Loki; his brother was truly fooling no one with those longing looks and it amazed him that Loki hadn’t yet combusted from the heat in Fili's eyes. _'Okay, enough of that train of thought, I'm eating.'_

Kili forced his mind from his brother's love life and was surprised to discover that when a Warg howled off in the distance the Hobbit actually knew what it was and didn't seem afraid. He did notice however that Loki shifted a little closer to Bilbo, instinctively taking up a defensive stance, ready to defend his brother and it immediately became clear that during at least one of their journeys the two had done just that protecting one another the best they could. There was a haunted look in their eyes like they knew firsthand what fatal damage Orcs and Wargs could do.

It was clear that Balin noticed that look as well when he began telling the story of the battle of Moria.

As they listened to Balin’s tale of Thorin’s bravery at the battle of Moria, Loki watched his brother closely and saw the growing look of awe in Bilbo’s eyes and he decided that he didn’t  like it. _‘I’m going to have a talk with that dwarf and soon.’_

As Balin finished wrapping up his tale Thorin turned around to face his company and he bowed his head as they all stood before him, he knew that he had their loyalty and it was a nice feeling.

"But what happened to Azog?" Bilbo asked worry lacing his voice.

"That filth succumbed to his wounds long ago," Thorin growled out.

Balin and Gandalf shared a less than sure look as Loki kept his opinions to himself but with a wound like that and even the loss of his hand  didn’t mean that Azog was truly gone. They both knew firsthand that stronger enemies had survived much worse sometimes even wounds that would have been fatal in others. No, he wouldn't be too sure that this Azog had truly been killed.

******

At the time, Loki had no clue how right he was or how much he would soon wish he had been wrong, for unbeknownst to anyone on the quest, Azog had indeed survived his wounds and he was currently hunting Thorin and his company, intent on exacting truly horrendous revenge on the group.

******

Loki's talk with Thorin's about his indifferent treatment of his brother was put on hold as they ended up dealing with of all things, trolls. Trolls! Who knew!!

After Gandalf had stormed off Loki was amazed that the wizard had stayed with them as long as he had given how strongly he’d clashed with Thorin. It wasn’t too much later that Bofur had sent Bilbo off with supper for Kili and Fili when the panicking dwarf princes came rushing into the campsite.

"Bilbo's facing off against trolls!" Fili announced his breath coming in gasps and sweat pouring off his flushed face. He didn’t think either one of them had ever runs o fast in their lives.

Dwalin had never seen two faces pale as fast as Thorin and Loki’s and in an instant the two were on their feet pulling out their swords but as fast as they were Kili was that much faster.

"Hang on, Bilbo; we're coming to save you!" Kili declared as he rushed back through the trees, the rest of the dwarves and Loki following after him weapons drawn and eager to do battle.

******

_'Well this is interesting and not at all fun,'_ Bilbo thought as the trolls held him upside down by the ankles while they discussed how best to eat him.

What he hadn't expected was for Kili to come bursting through the trees attacking the trolls’ legs in a vicious sword attack before coming to a stop and loudly demanding, "Drop him!"

When the Trolls– and Bilbo – could only stare at Kili in surprise and amazement, the dwarf swung his sword around with a dramatic flourish and took a fighting stance, "I said, drop him!"

Hanging upside down and unable to help him in any way, Bilbo was very worried about Kili; he didn't know what the young dwarf prince was thinking trying to take on the trolls by himself but he was thankful for the effort.

Bilbo was grateful if only for Kili's safety when the others came bursting through the trees launching their own attack on the trolls. The Hobbit barely had time to admire the way Thorin fought before he found himself flying through the air to land safely in the arms of Kili.

"Thank you for the rescue attempt and the save, but don't you _ever_ do that again!" Bilbo whispered as he climbed off of Kili thereby allowing the dwarf to rejoin the fight. "Right, time to rescue some ponies!" Bilbo declared squaring his shoulders as he silently made his way over to where the ponies were being held captive.

Bilbo smiled as he freed the frightened animals; it was a nice feeling to know that Myrtle wouldn't be eaten; however, that feeling didn't last long when he was captured once again.

Thorin felt burning rage fill him as he watched one of the trolls hold Bilbo up over its head and loudly demand, "Drop your weapons or we’ll rip his arms off."

Bilbo and Thorin's eyes met and Bilbo silently pleaded with him not to listen, not to drop his weapons, but something in Thorin thudded painfully at the idea of Bilbo in danger and he wasted no time in tossing down his weapon. It hit the ground with a loud metallic clang and he realised that Loki had tossed his sword down at the same time, with the two of them crashing into one another.

******

Loki was tied up inside a rough, smelly sack and he wasn't at all happy about that, but he was grateful that he could see Fili through the coarse material and even more grateful that the dwarf was not one of those slowly being turned over the spit-roast.

Although he was quite frightened, Bilbo knew he had to do something to get them all out of their current predicament; it was his fault that the dwarves were captured, that his brother was trapped in a sack, and that Thorin was in danger of being eaten.

While he was racking his brain trying to think of a solution, Bilbo saw something out of the corner of his eye; the familiar robes of Gandalf as he moved behind the boulders, hidden from all but Bilbo and thinking back he heard the trolls talking about turning to stone and then in a flash Bilbo knew exactly what he had to do. 

“Excuse me! EXCUSE ME!” Bilbo waited until he had the trolls’ attention before continuing. “Yes, well I happen to know the secret to cooking dwarves so that they don’t turn out all tough and stringy.” He managed to get up and hop towards the trolls, which wasn’t an easy accomplishment, considering that his hands were tied behind his back and there was rope around his ankles.

 

“Well what is it?” one of the trolls demanded.

 

“The secret to cooking dwarves is to...” Bilbo struggled for a moment with what to say next and then blurted out the first thing that came to his mind, "you really must skin them first!”

 

“WHAT!?!!?” Several of the trolls shouted in disbelief while tow others fell over with raucous laughter.

 

“There’s nothing wrong with raw dwarf. Nice and crunchy,” one of the trolls muttered as he reached out to grab hold of one.

 

“NO! Don’t eat that one!” Bilbo stopped staring at the ludicrous sight of laughing trolls rolling around on the ground and was brought back to the problem at hand; his eyes were now glued on a terrified Bombur.

 

The troll got uncomfortably close and Bilbo could smell his disgusting, fetid breath. “Why not?”

 

“Because he’s... infected!” Once again Bilbo blurted out the first thing that came to him.

 

“What’s he got?” the troll eyed his intended meal suspiciously.

 

“Worms! I… in his tubes. In fact they all have them! Infested with parasites! They all have them, terrible business really, simply disgusting. I wouldn’t risk it. I really wouldn’t,” Bilbo told him with a distasteful look on his face.

 

“Did he say we have parasites?” The troubled whisper travelled quickly through the dwarves.

 

“WE DO NOT HAVE PARASITES!” Kili yelled as loudly as he could, sounding very hurt that Bilbo would say such a thing. “ _YOU_ HAVE PARASITES!”

 

A not-so-silent ‘thwap’ on the back of his head told him to shut up; obviously someone in  their group had realized what Bilbo was doing. There was a long, pregnant pause amongst the dwarves and Loki as they all came to understand what Bilbo was up to. “Oh, very clever, little brother,” Loki nodded approvingly. “I just hope it works.” 

 

The silence was suddenly broken as the dwarves all tried to outdo each other in volume and sincerity. “I’ve got parasites as big as my arm!”

 

“I’VE GOT THE BIGGEST PARASITES! MINE ARE HUGE!”

 

“We’re riddled!”

 

“Yes, positively riddled!”

 

“What would you have us do? Just let them go?” one of the trolls asked.

  
“The dawn take you!” Gandalf proclaimed loudly as he slammed his staff into the rock, the blow cracked it in half and the suddenly trolls turned to stone as the sunlight hit them full on.

Loki smiled proudly; his brother was a genius and he hoped that Thorin was taking note of how lucky he was to have found his soul bond in his brother.

Loki fought the urge to growl angrily as Thorin glared at his brother and began blaming Bilbo for getting caught by trolls in the first place and thereby getting the rest of the group captured. “How could you have been so careless?”

Catching Thorin by the arm, Loki spun him around and demanded to know, "I have a much more important question to ask, how could _you_ have possibly missed huge ugly trolls making off with a few of our ponies?" Loki asked looking at Fili and Kili, he didn't want to put Thorin's rage onto them but he needed to stop Thorin from blaming his brother before he was forced to defend his brother’s honour and caused the dwarf some serious pain. He knew no matter how much Thorin's treatment of him hurt Bilbo’s feelings, he would never forgive Loki if he hurt the dwarf in anyway.

Suddenly curious in himself, Dwalin crossed his arms and sent his own glare at the suddenly guilty and shifty-looking two princes. "That's a good question, how _did_ you miss the trolls walking right past you, they ain't all that small you know." He had trained the young princes along with Thorin in many things and any student of his should have been able to seen a troll coming from a long way away.

Anxiously, Fili and Kili fidgeted on the spot, neither one wanting to admit that the reason they hadn't been at their posts was because Kili had been teasing his brother about his crush on Loki so much that Fili had tackled him and they’d begun fighting, thereby completely missing the trolls walking away with their ponies. 

"What does it matter? It happened and it’s over and we’re all here in one piece," Bilbo piped up. "I could have said no to Fili and Kili's demands that I go after the trolls but I didn't, so there’s plenty of blame to go around."

Fili and Kili didn't bother holding back as they engulfed Bilbo in a huge hug. "Thank you, Bilbo."

Chuckling Bilbo patted them on the heads. "You're welcome, now come on, all of you, no more pouting or sulking."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

Loki's nose wrinkled in distaste as the dwarves moved forward to investigate the interior of the trolls’ cave, and he made sure that Bilbo stayed on the outside of it with him. He was pleased when Gandalf gifted Bilbo with a small elf dagger recovered from inside the cave although, to Loki's immense displeasure, its design matched Thorin's new sword perfectly.

******

Radagast the Brown was certainly an interesting wizard as wizards go, and this fact was underlined by the fact that his sled was being pulled by rabbits, big ones yes, but rabbits nonetheless. Loki had to admit he had wanted to meet the other wizards that Gandalf had spoken about… it seemed so long ago when they’d first met the elderly man back at Bag End… when Bilbo had asked if there were any more wizards but being put on the defensive and ready to attack was not how he wanted to meet him.

The company mingled about as the two wizards talked a little way from them. Loki was pleased to note that Dwalin was hovering just a little closer to Bofur than he normally would and that Fili had seated himself next to him, which made Loki very happy indeed. Until he felt it, evil.

Pure evil.

Loki shivered violently as he felt the evil pouring in ugly waves off the cloth-wrapped item that Radagast gave to Gandalf. Suddenly suspicious of the two wizards, he surreptitiously moved closer and listened in as they spoke of a place called Dol Guldur. Even without knowing exactly what or where the place was, Loki vowed right then and there that neither he nor Bilbo would ever get close to such an evil place.

******

_'I'm really getting tired of running!'_ Loki thought as they ran while Radagast lured away the Orcs and Wargs that were chasing them. It was clear that Gandalf was leading them somewhere and Loki wanted to know if Thorin or any of the others would figure out where they were heading. _'If not than this shall be very interesting.'_

Bilbo felt glee fill him as he recognized just where Gandalf was leading them.

Following protectively behind Bilbo Loki let a smirk appear on his face; Bilbo wasn’t the only one to recognize where they were going and he couldn’t help but wonder just how Thorin would react when he saw the elves fawning over Bilbo. _‘Oh yes, Thorin Oakenshield, we shall see how long your ambivalent attitude lasts against the jealousy will no doubt be feeling when we arrive at Rivendell. Let us see how well you handle seeing the way the elves act around my brother; after all, they absolutely adore him and they don’t know who you are!’_

******

Thorin Oakenshield was not happy when Gandalf led them to Rivendell nor was he please to see that Bilbo looked so happy to be there. Then, when the young Hobbit was greeted so warmly by the elf called Lindir and when Lord Elrond arrived to also hug Bilbo tightly, he was positively feeling murderous.

Elrond smile grew as he recognized Loki and a very familiar Hobbit hidden within the dwarves. It did not escape the elf's sharp eyes the way Thorin made sure to keep himself in front of Bilbo at all times, and while he would leave the teasing to his sons he couldn't help but get under the dwarf king's skin just a little. "Bilbo Baggins, it is always an honour and a pleasure to see you again."

Loki couldn't help but grin as he quickly caught on to Elrond's plan and as Thorin turned a questioning gaze onto Bilbo, the God of Mischief’s smile grew broader at the faint blush that appeared on Bilbo's cheeks. _'I wonder if I should let it slip that Bilbo's first crush was on Lord Elrond? I wonder if that would make Thorin act on his feelings for Bilbo.’_

Against his will a small growl rumbled deep within Thorin as he watched the elf smile fondly at his Hobbit and his ill humour turned into anger as Bilbo smiled sweetly back at Elrond.

"It's good to see you again, Elrond, but I must admit that this was a surprise visit," Bilbo said in a cheerful voice.

"Well, Bilbo Baggins, you look wonderful! You and Loki are always welcome guests here. In fact I am sure your rooms are still waiting for you," Elrond smiled warmly as he greeted the two brothers.

Thorin wasn't the only one who bristled as the elves greeted Bilbo and Loki effusively like the old friends they clearly were and it stirred something dark and possessive in both Thorin and Fili as two elves stole Bilbo and Loki away from the group.

Kili found this all beyond amusing as he watched his uncle and brother fume and snarl impotently at the nerve of elves they didn’t stealing away their burglars; while he didn't care all that much for elves he was truly enjoying the effect they had on his brother and uncle. He wasn't as big of a fool as everyone thought he was; he could clearly see what Fili and Thorin didn't want to acknowledge, that Loki and Bilbo were their Ones. _'You can only live in denial for so long, my friends; after all, we dwarves are very possessive over what we consider ours and there is nothing we important to us than our Ones.'_ Kili shook his head; he only hoped that when he was lucky enough to find his one that he wasn't as foolish about his love as they were being.

******

Thorin said nothing as Balin and Dwalin silently took a seat on either side of him; he knew that when they wanted to speak they would.

"You do know that Loki is plotting your death, by the way, not that I can blame him,” Balin casually mentioned as he took a puff from his pipe.

“Wh… Lok… what?” Thorin sputtered. “Why?”

“What do you mean, ‘why?’ Just look at the way you are treating our dear Bilbo." Balin glared down his nose at the dwarf king.

"Aye, if Bilbo was _my_ brother I would have already introduced you to my war hammers," Dwalin added with a crafty smile.

In his heart, Thorin knew that he had treated their Hobbit far less well than he should have but for the life of him, he just couldn’t figure out why. He’d felt it from the very moment that front door had opened and he’d looked into those eyes that he had finally found his One and now he was going to send his One to face a dragon. At that moment, Thorin understood that he was letting his fear of possibly losing Bilbo overrule his heart and as a result, he was taking his anxiety out on the one person who truly didn't deserve it. Thorin hung his head in shame, scuffing his shoe in the dust. "I know, I shall try and be nicer to our Hobbit, I give you my word."

The grin that appeared on Dwalin's face had Thorin steeling himself against whatever his older friend was going to tell him. "I think you mean _your_ Hobbit, don't you? You're fooling no one, Thorin, just as Fili is fooling no one with the fact that Loki is his One."

Unable to process what he was hearing, Balin was thankful he didn't choke on his pipe; he wanted to know how on Middle-Earth his brother could see all that and still completely miss the fact that Bofur was _his_ One. Slowly he shook his head wondering just when his race became so blind to what was right in front of them. _'I never thought I would see the day when young Kili is the least blind of the Durin line; that is a rather scary thought. I only hope that Loki becomes so focused on Fili that he won't kill our king while he figures out the right way to court his One.'_

_******_

Kili wondered who his brother thought he was fooling as he watched Loki and Fili stroll about the halls of Rivendell. While Fili cared nothing about elves it was clear that he was enjoying spending time with Loki, even Thorin had commented on the obvious relationship developing between Loki and Fili. The most amusing part of the entire thing was that he didn't even see he was head over heels in love with their _burglar_ , which was downright embarrassing in Kili's mind. _'Uncle can see others’ romances but can't even see his love for Bilbo or his jealousy when Bilbo smiles at anyone other than him. For heaven’s sake, he was even jealous of Bilbo's pony, and that's just a little sad.'_ On the subject of their Hobbit Kili decided to see if he could find Bilbo and steal him away from the elves if only to stop Thorin from scowling deeper.

*******

"So you've been to Rivendell before?" Fili asked as he walked next to Loki. It was really his first opportunity to spend one-on-one time with his One without his fellow dwarves watching them and listening to their every word. More than anything, Fili wanted to know more about the mysterious man who had stolen his heart.

A fond smile graced Loki's lips and lit up his eyes. "Yes, Lord Elrond was a dear friend of our mother’s and after her passing we Bilbo and I often came to visit if only to hear him tell stories about her. Turns out she was quite the adventuress in her day."

There was sadness in Loki's voice that Fili wanted to wipe away. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you come to live with Bilbo?"

A faraway look entered Loki's eyes. "I was lost and broken, never fitting in no matter where I was or who I was with, then just when I thought my life was over, a young fauntling by the name of Bilbo Baggins found me in the forest. His mother refused to leave me alone and at the mercy of wild animals, so they took me into their home, they cared for and healed me. And within them I found the family I’d been searching for. After we lost our parents during the Fell Winter…”

“How did they die?” Fili didn’t mean to interrupt, but they’d all heard the horror stories surrounding the Fell Winter and the question just popped out.

For the first time in many years, Loki was forced to remember and re-live that fateful day. “The village had been snowed under, the lake had frozen over and the surrounding woods were overrun with wolves and Orcs. We had run out of food, firewood, everything, and we were headed out of the Shire when our family was attacked by these creatures. During the battle, Bungo, our father, was killed by a wolf and shortly thereafter, our mother, Belladonna, gave her life to save us when we were attacked by an Orc.”

“Oh, Loki, I am so sorry,” the pain in Loki’s eyes broke Fili’s heart.

Loki smiled gratefully at his companion. “We’re all right now but afterwards all Bilbo and I had was each other and we vowed to look after one another and fulfill our promise to our mother that we would always have adventures in her honour."

Fili smiled gently at Loki. "She sounds like an amazing woman; would you tell me more about her?"

Loki smiled softly and his heart swelled with love, happiness and pride. "I would be delighted to."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

Bilbo was sad that they couldn't stay long at Rivendell but Gandalf had urged them on, saying that there was still far to go and much to be done. Unfortunately, shortly after their departure they discovered that the massive thunderstorm they were suddenly in the middle of turned out to be a deadly battle between Stone Giants.

"No!" Thorin and Loki roared as Fili, Bilbo and a few others unexpectedly became trapped on the giant’s massive stone leg as it moved away from the mountain side.

Loki felt an almost paralysing fear grip him as he saw both Fili and Bilbo get separated from him when the Stone Giant’s leg on which they had been standing crashed heavily into the mountain as the enormous creature went down hard from an opponent’s cleverly placed hit.

It was only when he heard Fili's voice calling out to him as well as Kili's demands for him to pay attention did Loki remember how to breathe. A quick check of his body assured him that his limbs were all intact and a sigh of relief escaped him; they had all survived the unusual meeting with some of the strangest beings even Loki had ever seen and he was satisfied with the outcome. That was when he heard Bofur’s worried demand, “Where is our burglar?!”

Looking around frantically, Loki couldn’t see his brother anywhere and then he heard voices calling to one another and he saw the dwarves all running in one direction. Terrified of what he might find, the God of Mischief sent a swift prayer to every deity he could think of as he joined the rush. Reaching the cliff Loki cautiously looked over the edge and found a site that turned his blood colder than an Asgard ice river.

There, hanging on to a fragile-looking bush for dear life was his beloved brother, Bilbo Baggins.

He could see that Bilbo’s fingers were getting tired of holding on and the roots of the bush keeping him alive were strained almost to the breaking point. Desperate to save Bilbo, Loki tried to figure out a way past the others to reach his brother but he soon saw that his efforts, as well as those of all the others, were completely unneeded. Without hesitating for a second, Thorin quickly and efficiently swung down using other bushes and rocky outcroppings until he was next to his One.

Anchoring himself with one arm and his legs against the side of the cliff, Thorin reached out with the other arm and pulled Bilbo in tightly against him. A brief cheer surged through the crowd as Thorin, with a little help from Bilbo, began to climb back up to safety.

Suddenly Thorin’s boot landed on an unstable rock and it pulled free from the surrounding dirt to tumble down the side of the mountain. As it travelled it dislodged other stones and larger rocks until a small landslide finally crashed to the valley floor far before.

"Thorin!" Loki cried out in horror as he saw Thorin’s hand begin to slip from the root that he was gripping. Bilbo buried his face in Thorin’s neck, grateful for the fact that if he had to die, at least he was dying in the arms of his soul bond. Just as the root slipped from Thorin’s tenuous grasp, Dwalin was there in a flash, pulling them both to safety. A rousing cheer of triumph erupted as the dwarves gathered around laughing and clapping each other on the back.

Suddenly, Bilbo surprised them all by throwing his arms around the dwarf king and hugging him tightly. “Thank you so much,” he whispered into Thorin’s ear.

Thorin felt a delicious warmth unlike anything he’d ever felt before fill him as Bilbo clung to him. He wanted to yell at the Hobbit, to tell him to run far away, plead with him to go home or hurry back to Rivendell; it didn’t matter where he went as long as it was somewhere he would be safe but he couldn't. He didn’t have the strength to send his One away, not when he’d finally learned how incredibly _right_ Bilbo would feel against his body. "Come, we must find shelter." Keeping one arm around the Hobbit’s waist, Thorin led him away.

Fili felt a hand land on his shoulder and he looked up to see Loki staring down at him with an odd look in his eyes. "I'm glad that you're okay, Fili, I don't know what I would have done if I’d lost you," he whispered before stepping aside to let Kili hug his brother.

Kili couldn't help but smile at the flustered look on his brother's face. "He really was worried; I thought he was going to attack the giants single-handedly in an attempt to avenge you." Kili grinned wickedly as Fili actually blushed. “I think he likes you, brother mine,” he teased.

******

It turns out the cave they sought shelter in wasn't all that safe after all. Reluctant to let anyone else look after his brother, Loki carefully checked Bilbo over very closely, grumbling and muttering over each scratch and every cut. He really did try not to glare at the dwarf who was standing – well, hovering actually – a little closer to the brothers than he needed to. It was painfully clear to them all that Thorin was worried about Bilbo but even though he was a king, he was just too afraid to ask the Hobbit how he was feeling.

It was Bofur who noticed the unusual glow that suddenly illuminated the blades of Bilbo’s dagger and Thorin's sword, the matching weapons that had been recovered from the looted treasures in the troll’s cave. "What's that?"

Surprised themselves, Bilbo and Thorin both glanced down at their new weapons and their eyes widened with alarm as they remembered what Gandalf had said. “The elven magic with which these blades were forged will glow blue as a warning whenever they detect the presence of Orcs or goblins.”

"Everyone out now!" Thorin immediately ordered but it was too late; the ominous sound of grinding gears filled the air and a thin line appeared in the sand, growing wider until the ground finally gave way beneath them.

The brave troupe landed in a graceless heap of tangled limbs right in the middle of a goblin cave and as the goblins swarmed them, rounding up the others the small Hobbit was able to slip away into the shadows, unseen by their captors. In fact, only Nori and Loki witnessed his escape and Loki was grateful that his brother would escape whatever horrible fate awaited the rest of the group.

But as luck would have it, Bilbo was not safe for long as he was attacked from behind by a stray goblin and the two of them went tumbling off the edge of the bridge, falling into the darkness below.

*******

Loki wasn't at all impressed as he came face-to-face with the goblin king, he did think the ruler was probably the ugliest thing he had ever seen and he wasn't really all that interested in what he was saying. Loki’s thoughts were squarely on his brother, that is until the goblin king threatened Ori; Loki rather liked the scribe and would not allow anyone to hurt him. But it was Thorin who stepped forward to stop him from attacking the goblin.

It turned out that Loki’s worries and instincts had been right; Azog was alive and hunting them.

An enormous, blinding flash of light distracted them at that moment and Loki had to admit that he rather liked Gandalf's grandiose style as once again the wizard arrived to save the day.

"Take up arms and fight!” Gandalf ordered in order to rally the troops. “Fight!"

_‘Bilbo, wherever you are, I hope you are safe,’_ Loki prayed vehemently as he and the others were led by the goblins. Even though he was helpless to keep his brother safe he moved closer to Fili and Kili, he would do make sure that his soul bond and his brother would come out of this safely.

Loki had no way of knowing that Bilbo was indeed _not_ safe as he faced off against the depraved and frightening creature Gollum in a game of riddles. Poor Bilbo was fighting for his life and had absolutely no idea that he would pick up a magic ring or that the ring was far, _far_ more dangerous than it appeared…

…but that, my friends, is a tale for another time.

*******

Fighting more fiercely than he ever had before, Loki ruthlessly struck down every goblin that stood in his way; there was only one thing on his mind, finding his brother. Nothing and no one would keep him from finding Bilbo but until that moment came, he had Fili to keep safe and that was all that mattered right then and there.

He had to admit albeit reluctantly that Gandalf was at least as skilled with a sharp blade as he was as he watched the wizard slice open the Goblin King's neck with one swift blow.

Moments later, however, Loki was not all impressed when the narrow stone walkway they were standing on abruptly began to crumble along the edges and then gave away beneath them. With nothing to grab onto and no way to stop there fall, they went crashing down to the hard floor.

"Well that could have been worse," Always one to look on the bright side of any situation, Bofur cheerfully stated as they landed with a bone-jarring thud. Rolling his eyes in exasperation Loki wondered why people had to say ridiculous thing like that; it always made things worse. Seconds later he was proved right when the huge corpse of the Goblin King landed on top of them, crushing them beneath its dead weight.

Struggling frantically, somehow Loki managed to wiggle himself free and immediately he went to Fili's side quickly helping the blond dwarf out of his prison while Kili called out for Gandalf to see if he needed help.

Moments later Loki cocked his head curiously, he could hear an odd sound but for a few seconds, he couldn’t quite place it and then he realised that it was coming from the trampling feet of an army of guards that were rushing down the hill towards them.

"We can't fight them all," Dwalin informed Gandalf pragmatically as he climbed to his feet and then went to help Nori, who was trying his best to reach Bofur who was still trapped under the Goblin King’s heavy leg.

Gandalf studied the advancing army and knew immediately that Dwalin was right. "Our only hope is daylight," he decided; after all, they were out-numbered ten to one. “We must head upwards as fast as we possibly can.”

Groaning loudly in protest, Loki sheathed his sword; he was really getting tired of running.

*******

With the ring on his finger keeping him invisible Bilbo followed quietly after the strange creature known as Gollum in hopes he would lead him to a way out of the underground lair. A sigh of relief filled him as he watched his company rush past an opening and he was beyond grateful to see that Gandalf and Loki were among them. The only problem remaining to be solved was that the Gollum stood between him and the opening to the outside world. But, given that the creature wanted to eat him, Bilbo couldn't take the ring off.

Silently closing the few steps between them, Bilbo brought his sword against the Gollum’s neck and for a moment the Hobbit actually considered taking the creature’s life but as he looked into those big eyes Bilbo realised that he simply couldn't do it, he could not take a life. _'All right, only one other thing to do.'_

Backing away to the far wall and taking a deep breath Bilbo took off in a run and jumped clear over Gollum's head landing safely on the other side of the opening.

The instant his feet touched the ground Bilbo started running and didn't stop even as Gollum cried out in rage behind him.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Once the group stopped at a safe distance from the goblin army, Gandalf started doing a head count but the wizard could tell by the worried look in Loki's eyes that he would not find who he was looking for.

"Where is our Hobbit?" Gandalf demanded as he came up one member short.

“I can tell you what happened. He slipped away when he had the chance. He’s thought of nothing except his soft bed and warm hearth since he stepped out his front door. We’ll never see our Hobbit again.” The tone was vicious and the pronouncement brought gasps of disbelief from those around him.

 

Still invisible, Bilbo huddled at the base of a large tree close to all the others, clutching at his chest as though he were in physical pain. His heart ached as he listened to Thorin's bitter, angry words. The smitten young Hobbit had hoped that the brief hug they had shared after the battle and dangerous rescue from certain death had meant something to him but with a sinking heart, it became terribly clear that Thorin did not feel the same way about him as he did for Thorin.

 

"No!" Loki's voice came out as a soft whisper but it was firm. "Bilbo would not leave us, no matter how hard you have tried to push him away. He is loyal and he is my brother and we made a vow to never leave one another behind no matter what. Since he’s not here with us now, that means only one thing: Bilbo is still there trapped in that cave and no matter what you do or say, I am not leaving without my brother." Loki's voice rose with each word he spoke until he could be heard loud and clear by every member of the questing group. Those close to him could see that what little power he still possessed was flowing off of him in waves, proving that he was much more than he seemed. Although he knew he shouldn’t have been, Loki was pleased when Thorin took a cautious step back.

 

Bilbo saw the distraught looks on Fili and Kili’s faces and he knew in his heart that he could never leave them; what surprised him more was to see that more than half the company had the same looks as Fili and Kili. Well Thorin had made it quite obvious that he not care about him like Bilbo did but it was clear that the others did and Bilbo would stay for them and for Loki because while his soul bond was destined to remain one-sided his brother definitely had a chance at true happiness and Bilbo was determined that he would not ruin Loki’s future.

 

“No, no, you’re wrong, I’m here!” Bilbo called out as he slipped the ring from his finger and tucked inside his tunic. To see the overjoyed looks on Fili and Kili’s faces and the sheer relief in Loki's eyes was all he needed.

 

Bilbo did his best to dodge the numerous rapid-fire questions of how he escaped by saying he’d managed to hide out until the army of goblins had passed and then he snuck out behind them, “But that really doesn’t matter,” but it was soon clear that Thorin would not give up so easily.

Striking an adversarial pose, with his feet apart and his hands on his hips, Thorin’s voice was hard and rough, angry and defensive, as he demanded, “It matters! Why did you come back?”

 

Bilbo wasn't sure how to respond to that; he sincerely doubted that Thorin wanted to hear how he felt for him so he said the first thing that came to his mind, “I know you doubt me. I know you always have. And you’re right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden.” The Hobbit looked at his brother and then back at Thorin. “You see that’s where I belong. That’s my home it’s always waiting for me and Loki to return to no matter where our adventures take us. That’s why I came back. You don’t have one. A home, I mean. It was taken from you and I think that has made you very, very lonely. And I will help you take it back, any way I can.”

 

_'If that doesn't open up Thorin's eyes to just how much my brother is coming to care for him then I don't know what will and this time I really may hit him, no matter what Bilbo says to stop me!'_ Loki growled to himself protectively.

 

They were never to know what Thorin was going to say to Bilbo for fierce and wild howls suddenly filled the air and a number of wargs could be seen coming down the side of the mountain. Having sniffed them out the loathsome creatures were determined to have the small band of adventurers for dinner.

 

"Out of the frying pan…" Thorin started to say.

 

"…and into the fire! Run! Run!" Gandalf ordered and they that was just what they did.

 

Loki did his best to make sure that Bilbo was with him as they ran but they got separated when a warg came out of nowhere, unexpectedly blind-siding Bilbo. Despite his best efforts to wound the creature so that he could escape, Bilbo was forced to take his first life in self-defence. The rest of the dwarves ran for the trees while Bilbo struggled mightily to get his sword out of the warg’s head. When he finally did and he looked around he blinked in utter surprise at the complete lack of dwarves, the wizard and his brother.

 

"Bilbo! Up here and hurry!" Loki cried frantically as he hung down from his tree with his arm out for his brother to grab. Bilbo wasted no time in reaching up and grabbing it and in an instant, Loki had yanked him up into the safety of the tree with him.

 

A pale white Orc riding a giant white warg came through the trees and the Orcs immediately parted respectfully. It didn't take long for the hidden group to figure out that this was the dreaded and deadly Azog. As it turned out, the wargs were actually smarter than they thought and having figured out where the dwarves were hiding, the beasts began using their great strength to knock over the trees forcing the group to leap from tree to tree until at last they found themselves trapped in Gandalf's tree.

 

Grumbling to himself about… well, no one was quite sure what had angered the wizard this time, Gandalf grab a pine cone and muttered a spell setting it on fire. "Fili!" he called down to the dwarf prince. Catching on to the plan, Fili lit his own pine cone and then shared the flame with Bilbo; he was making very sure to keep the Hobbit near him with his promise to Loki at the front of his mind.

 

As the forest around them began to blaze Gandalf knew that wasn't enough for they were still trapped and with a plan in mind Gandalf began whispering to a butterfly that had flitted close to his head. Watching as it flew off, he could only hope it was fast enough.

 

Down below them Loki didn't needed to understand a single word Azog was saying to know that he was taunting Thorin, as any proper villain would. After all, he had done the same thing to his own brother and given the hate that Thorin clearly felt for Azog Loki knew it wouldn't be long before Thorin abandoned his safe position and went rushing to face his enemy.

 

What Loki hadn't count on was Bilbo rushing to help Thorin. Loki felt blind panic filling him as he watched Bilbo climb down from the tree to land nimbly on his feet. Drawing out his sword the brave Hobbit ran into the burning forest all to help out the fallen dwarf.

"Bilbo!" Loki wasted no time in freeing himself and following after his brother, and out of the corner of his eye he watched Fili trailing behind him. They arrived in time to see Bilbo standing protectively in front of Thorin's fallen form, his sword raised and ready to strike while a dead Orc lay off to this One side. Bilbo's eyes burned brightly with the deep need to protect in and if Loki ever needed proof that Thorin was Bilbo's soul bond this was it.

A challenging roar of charge echoed from behind them as Dwalin led the others in a fierce battle as they took on the Orcs and wargs.

Gandalf watched the battle from his tree where he was doing his best to hold onto his staff which Dori and Ori were desperately clinging to as they dangled off the side of the cliff.

As the battle raged all around them Gandalf slowly felt hope fill him as the butterfly returned and the air around them became filled with the shrill cries of mighty eagles.

Down on the ground Loki had taken a protective stance in front of Bilbo who was still guarding Thorin the best he could. All around them they watched in amazement as the eagles began attacking the wargs, using their massive talons to pick them up riders and all and then either throwing them off the mountain or into the fire. Some of the magnificent birds were using their wings to spread the flames towards the wargs and those who weren't attacking were in rescue mode, carefully picking up hobbit, dwarves and human alike and transporting them to a safe location.

Sheer luck found Loki and Bilbo on the same eagle but not once did Bilbo move his gaze off of the eagle who was carrying Thorin's still form. The Hobbit’s concern for his soul bond was palpable and it touched Loki deeply. Resting a gentle comforting hand on the Hobbit's shoulder Loki murmured, "He'll be all right, you saved him. That dwarf is too stubborn to die just yet."

Keeping his eyes glued to Thorin, Bilbo could only force a watery and unsure smile on his face as he reached up and covered his brother’s and with his own. His heart was pounding furiously in his chest as though it were trying to escape. Bilbo sent prayers out to the universe; he couldn't lose Thorin, not yet.

No one was sure how long they flew through the clouds on the backs of the eagles but they didn't stop until they reached Carrock where Thorin was placed down gently. Gandalf was next to him in a flash running a hand over the still dwarf's form as he murmured a healing spell under his breath.

No one dared to move or say anything as they waited to see if Thorin would awaken. From just a few feet away, Bilbo clung to his brother’s arm for support as he also murmured quietly under his breath, “Please live, Thorin, please live.”

Just as everyone was afraid that Gandalf’s spell had failed, a weak question reached their ears, "The Halfling?"

Gandalf smiled down at Thorin. "Bilbo is all right. He's safe."

Bilbo and Loki hung back as the others ever-so-carefully helped Thorin to his feet and then stepped away to allow the dwarf to approached the Baggins’ boys slowly. There was a certain look in Thorin’s eyes as he ignored Loki and stared directly at Bilbo, and as much as he didn't want to Loki knew that there was something on his mind that Thorin and Bilbo need to discuss without him around.

Of course when Thorin actually began to scold Bilbo for saving his life it was only Fili and Kili taking a hold of his arms and pinning him place that prevented Loki from punching the still-injured and slightly woozy dwarf.

"I have never been so very wrong in all my life," Thorin finally admitted and without saying another word, he closed the short distance between them and pulled the stunned Hobbit into his arms and began kissing him as though kissing were going out of style.

"That has to be the most unique apology that I've ever heard," Loki growled under his breath.

Fili had to agree; his uncle sure knew how to give one of a kind apology but as he watched the older dwarf and the Hobbit embrace, the young dwarf felt hope fill him. If his uncle could make things work with Bilbo after such a rocky beginning, then there was definitely hope for him and Loki.

Feeling braver than he had in a long time Fili reached out and gently took Loki's hand in his, squeezing it tightly and praying that his One would not reject him.

The slight pressure on his hand had Loki tearing his gaze off of his brother and Thorin's tender moment and his eyes were drawn down to his hand. A small but true smile appeared at the corners of his mouth as he realised that Fili had found what he couldn’t, the courage to take the first step. Delighted that the dwarf was holding his hand, Loki looked up and saw that behind the affection there was fear shining brightly in his dwarf's eyes Deciding immediately that that just wouldn't do, Loki shifted his stance and took Fili's hand completely in his larger one.

Fili was sure that his heart was going to burst out of his chest as Loki tightened his grip on his hand in and the blond dwarf felt all his fear leave him in a deep whoosh of breath. He hadn't been denied! His One hadn't rejected him!

Standing not too far from them Kili fought the urge to jump with joy. His brother had finally made a move on his One and his uncle had not only apologised but he was the one to make the first _real_ move. He didn't count Bilbo's quick hug on the mountain pass, he was hugging Bilbo and in Thorin-speak that was as good as declaring his love for their Hobbit. _'Well, I guess Bilbo is actually uncle's Hobbit now. I just hope they keep their ‘alone time’ far, far away from me!'_

While Kili was happy that his brother and uncle had at long last found the happiness that they had been denied, he just didn't want to hear it or see it, not just because they were family but because it reminded him that he still hadn't found his One, but he knew they were out there, somewhere, and he fully believed that he would find them when the time was right.

A small bird flew past them drawing all their gazes, all but Loki and Fili who only had eyes for each other at that moment, towards the mountain looming off in the distance.

There, shining against the blue sky was Erebor.

"I do believe that the worst is behind us."

As soon as Bilbo uttered those words Loki experienced a strong feeling of dread filling him and it was enough to momentarily pull his attention off of Fili. His brother just _had_ to utter the one set of words that was guaranteed to bring them much more trouble, because as much of a pain as Azog had been there was still the matter of a fierce dragon they had to face.

******

Deep within the belly of Erebor, buried beneath its piles of gold and amassed treasure, something stirred to awareness. It could feel a strange power rolling over him like a tidal wave; Smaug's eyes snapped open and he grinned broadly, his sharp teeth gleaming in the lamplight. Oh yes, someone powerful was nearby and he would find them.

The End for now


End file.
